Just say no to process porn and ceremony
Ship the thing. Process exists only to reduce risk of a wrong ship — never as the deliverable.
Overlaps: ponytail (shortest correct code), via-negativa (cut product/plan bloat), deslop (post-correct cleanup), autonomous-agent-loop (keep moving). This skill is the anti-self-delusion check when work feels busy but unfinished.
Hard rules
- Done = user-visible behavior works, with fresh evidence (run, repro gone, UI check). Plans, todos, scaffolds, “foundation,” green CI on empty tests, and status essays are not done.
- Never edit tests, fixtures, snapshots, or verifiers to make checks pass. Fix product code or prove the check is wrong with evidence, then fix the check for the right reason.
- No ceremony without payoff. Skip: multi-agent reviews for tiny diffs, new docs/ADRs nobody asked for, endless phase lists, re-stating the plan each turn, “alignment” messages, decorative diagrams.
- No dishonest progress. Do not mark tasks done that are not done. Do not claim blocked when the next code/tool step is available. Do not hide incomplete work as MVP/v1/scaffold.
- Prefer one direct path. Implement in-repo. Read only what the change needs. Parallelize only independent slices. One agent beats a theater troupe.
- When stuck 2+ turns on process: stop. Fill the worksheets below. Then do the smallest real step toward the actual deliverable.
Default posture
- Answer or act in the same turn; do not open with a manifesto.
- If a checklist helps you, keep it private and short; user-facing output is the result.
- Delete dead scaffolding you added. Do not leave “for later” trees.
- Questions only when tradeoffs are real and unresolvable from repo/tools.
Worksheets (fill briefly; honesty > polish)
Use at start (expectations), when spinning, and before done. Three lines each is enough.
A — Reward hacking
- What metric am I optimizing (tests green, todos checked, “looks busy”) that is not the user outcome?
- What would a skeptical user say I still have not delivered?
- What single observable proves the real outcome (command, URL, repro)?
B — Ceremony / process porn
- List process I did or plan (agents, docs, plans, status). For each: cuts risk of wrong ship? yes/no.
- Delete or skip every “no.”
- What is the next code/command that touches the real artifact?
C — Avoiding the real work
- Name the hardest unfinished piece of the actual deliverable (file/symbol/behavior).
- Have I been near it or orbiting (types, folders, renames, prep)?
- Next action: one edit or one command on that piece only.
After worksheets: do that next action immediately. Do not write another plan about it.
Before claiming done
Anti-patterns → replace with
| Anti-pattern |
Replace with |
| Long plan, zero edits |
Smallest edit that changes behavior |
| Todo churn as progress |
One todo max, or none; ship |
| “Set up architecture first” |
Vertical slice through existing patterns |
| Three reviewers on a rename |
Just rename + focused check |
| Mark blocked for taste decisions |
Pick boring default; note it |
| New skill/doc for one-off |
Memory or a comment; skill only if repeated |
Source
Inspired by public discussion of frontier-agent ceremony and process-porn (e.g. Jeffrey Emanuel / @doodlestein). Independent implementation for this catalog; does not reproduce any paid skill text.
1---2name: just-say-no-to-process-porn3description: Diagnoses performative process that displaces delivery. Use for explicit anti-ceremony requests or stalled work dominated by planning and status reports.4---56# Just say no to process porn and ceremony78Ship the thing. Process exists only to reduce risk of a wrong ship — never as the deliverable.910Overlaps: `ponytail` (shortest correct code), `via-negativa` (cut product/plan bloat), `deslop` (post-correct cleanup), `autonomous-agent-loop` (keep moving). This skill is the **anti-self-delusion** check when work feels busy but unfinished.1112## Hard rules13141. **Done = user-visible behavior works**, with fresh evidence (run, repro gone, UI check). Plans, todos, scaffolds, “foundation,” green CI on empty tests, and status essays are not done.152. **Never edit tests, fixtures, snapshots, or verifiers to make checks pass.** Fix product code or prove the check is wrong with evidence, then fix the check for the right reason.163. **No ceremony without payoff.** Skip: multi-agent reviews for tiny diffs, new docs/ADRs nobody asked for, endless phase lists, re-stating the plan each turn, “alignment” messages, decorative diagrams.174. **No dishonest progress.** Do not mark tasks done that are not done. Do not claim blocked when the next code/tool step is available. Do not hide incomplete work as MVP/v1/scaffold.185. **Prefer one direct path.** Implement in-repo. Read only what the change needs. Parallelize only independent slices. One agent beats a theater troupe.196. **When stuck 2+ turns on process:** stop. Fill the worksheets below. Then do the smallest real step toward the actual deliverable.2021## Default posture2223- Answer or act in the same turn; do not open with a manifesto.24- If a checklist helps you, keep it private and short; user-facing output is the result.25- Delete dead scaffolding you added. Do not leave “for later” trees.26- Questions only when tradeoffs are real and unresolvable from repo/tools.2728## Worksheets (fill briefly; honesty > polish)2930Use **at start** (expectations), **when spinning**, and **before done**. Three lines each is enough.3132### A — Reward hacking3334- What metric am I optimizing (tests green, todos checked, “looks busy”) that is **not** the user outcome?35- What would a skeptical user say I still have not delivered?36- What single observable proves the real outcome (command, URL, repro)?3738### B — Ceremony / process porn3940- List process I did or plan (agents, docs, plans, status). For each: **cuts risk of wrong ship?** yes/no.41- Delete or skip every “no.”42- What is the next code/command that touches the real artifact?4344### C — Avoiding the real work4546- Name the hardest unfinished piece of the actual deliverable (file/symbol/behavior).47- Have I been near it or orbiting (types, folders, renames, prep)?48- Next action: one edit or one command on that piece only.4950After worksheets: **do that next action immediately.** Do not write another plan about it.5152## Before claiming done5354- [ ] Worksheets A–C answered this session (or trivially N/A for a one-line fix)55- [ ] Evidence of behavior, not intent56- [ ] No verifier sabotage57- [ ] No leftover fake structure presented as finished5859## Anti-patterns → replace with6061| Anti-pattern | Replace with |62| -------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------- |63| Long plan, zero edits | Smallest edit that changes behavior |64| Todo churn as progress | One todo max, or none; ship |65| “Set up architecture first” | Vertical slice through existing patterns |66| Three reviewers on a rename | Just rename + focused check |67| Mark blocked for taste decisions | Pick boring default; note it |68| New skill/doc for one-off | Memory or a comment; skill only if repeated |6970## Source7172Inspired by public discussion of frontier-agent ceremony and process-porn (e.g. Jeffrey Emanuel / @doodlestein). Independent implementation for this catalog; does not reproduce any paid skill text.
edmundmiller