ferrumclaudepilgrim Minimum Viable Implementation Check
Answer every question before writing any code. If the simple version is sufficient, build that. Document why only if you choose a heavier approach.
Required Questions
1. What are you building? One sentence. If you cannot describe it in one sentence, the scope is not defined yet.
2. What is the simplest possible implementation? Usually: a shell script, a single file, a few commands piped together, a cron entry, a git hook. Describe it. Estimate the line count.
3. Why is the simple version insufficient? State a concrete reason. Not "it won't scale" but "it cannot handle binary data" or "it requires a persistent HTTP connection." If you cannot state a concrete reason, build the simple version.
4. What is the proposed implementation? If you are not building the simple version: name the language, framework, and every dependency. Justify each one.
5. Are dependencies available and working on this platform? For each dependency: is it installed? Does it work on the current OS and architecture? Have you verified this, or are you assuming? Check before committing to an approach.
6. What is the maintenance cost? Will this break when a dependency updates? Who fixes it? If the answer is "whoever is here then," that is a cost. Weight it against the benefit of the heavier approach.
Decision Rule
- If question 3 has no answer: build the simple version, stop here.
- If question 3 has an answer: proceed with the proposed implementation, but document the reason in a comment or README so the next person knows why the complexity exists.
- If question 5 reveals a missing dependency: verify availability before starting, or redesign to avoid it.