Less Is More
When the user considers changing their agent setup, apply this skill.
Rules
Use what exists first. Pi and the current setup are the default. Do not propose adding another tool, skill, extension, agent, or automation unless the existing setup cannot reasonably solve the problem.
Wait for a real need. Do not pre-package future possibilities. Add something only when there is a concrete, repeated workflow annoyance — not because it might be useful someday.
Smallest fix wins. When a real need exists, prefer the smallest change that solves it. Do not ship a cathedral when a shed suffices.
Label speculative additions experimental. If the user wants to try something that does not yet meet the bar above, it must be explicitly marked as experimental. This includes a clear note on what problem it might solve and that it should be removed if it proves unnecessary.
Record the reason. For meaningful setup changes, encourage an explicit record so the motivation is visible later. Prefer Change Intent Records (CIRs) under docs/<package>/cir/ or docs/cir/ for new durable change intent or decisions; existing decision logs remain active reference material. This is a recommendation, not a gate — but absence of one should prompt the user to justify the addition.
What to use this for
Use less-is-more when a change adds, removes, moves, renames, or materially changes a skill, prompt/template, agent, extension, or agent-setup package, or changes how those artefacts are discovered, loaded, injected, scoped, enabled, attributed, or gated.
What not to do
- Do not package everything upfront. Solve the immediate problem cleanly and let the setup grow organically.
- Do not add infrastructure, extensions, or skills "just in case."
- Do not trigger this for ordinary documentation updates, reporting or metrics work, generic product features, or refactors that do not affect setup or its wiring.
1---2name: less-is-more3description: Discourage unnecessary setup growth in this repository. Use when changing agent-setup artefacts or the wiring around them: skills, prompts/templates, agents, extensions, packages, or automation.4---56# Less Is More78When the user considers changing their agent setup, apply this skill.910## Rules11121. **Use what exists first.** Pi and the current setup are the default. Do not propose adding another tool, skill, extension, agent, or automation unless the existing setup cannot reasonably solve the problem.13142. **Wait for a real need.** Do not pre-package future possibilities. Add something only when there is a concrete, repeated workflow annoyance — not because it might be useful someday.15163. **Smallest fix wins.** When a real need exists, prefer the smallest change that solves it. Do not ship a cathedral when a shed suffices.17184. **Label speculative additions `experimental`.** If the user wants to try something that does not yet meet the bar above, it must be explicitly marked as `experimental`. This includes a clear note on what problem it might solve and that it should be removed if it proves unnecessary.19205. **Record the reason.** For meaningful setup changes, encourage an explicit record so the motivation is visible later. Prefer Change Intent Records (CIRs) under `docs/<package>/cir/` or `docs/cir/` for new durable change intent or decisions; existing decision logs remain active reference material. This is a recommendation, not a gate — but absence of one should prompt the user to justify the addition.2122## What to use this for2324Use `less-is-more` when a change adds, removes, moves, renames, or materially changes a skill, prompt/template, agent, extension, or agent-setup package, or changes how those artefacts are discovered, loaded, injected, scoped, enabled, attributed, or gated.2526## What not to do2728- Do not package everything upfront. Solve the immediate problem cleanly and let the setup grow organically.29- Do not add infrastructure, extensions, or skills "just in case."30- Do not trigger this for ordinary documentation updates, reporting or metrics work, generic product features, or refactors that do not affect setup or its wiring.
lhohan