Programming Advisor

Programming Advisor - "Reinventing the Wheel" Detector

Triggers

Core Philosophy

Before writing a single line of code, determine if the wheel already exists. Vibe coding burns tokens, time, and creates maintenance burden. Existing solutions often provide better quality, security patches, and community support.

Process

Step 1: Capture Intent

Extract from user request:

• What: Core functionality needed
• Why: Use case / problem being solved
• Constraints: Language, platform, budget, licensing requirements

Step 2: Search for Existing Solutions

Search internal prior-art FIRST (leverage/extend), then external. The cheapest option is code you already have.

2a. Internal prior-art

Before any web search, check whether the capability already exists in the current repo or org:

• grep the codebase for the capability's keywords and likely symbol names
• if Serena is available, run a symbol search; if Forgetful memory is available, query it
• check existing dependencies (package.json / requirements.txt / Cargo.toml / go.mod) for a library already pulled in

If an internal implementation exists, recommend Leverage (use as-is) or Extend (adapt it) before proposing a build or an external buy. Internal reuse beats both a new dependency and a rewrite.

Security-sensitive carve-out (overrides reuse-first): For auth, crypto, payments, or any security-sensitive capability, do NOT apply reuse-first. Recommend a vetted, widely-used external provider over extending or reusing a homegrown implementation, even when internal prior-art exists and covers most of the requirement. Homegrown security code keeps audit, patching, and compliance liability (e.g. PCI) in-house and is the red flag in 9.5 ('you can't build it securely'). Reuse-first does not apply to security-sensitive code.

2b. External solutions

Search strategy (use web_search):

1. "{functionality} library {language}"
2. "{functionality} open source"
3. "{functionality} SaaS tool"
4. "best {functionality} solution 2024"
5. "{functionality} npm/pip/cargo package" (based on ecosystem)

Categorize findings:

• Libraries/Packages: npm, pip, cargo, etc. (free, integrate into code)
• Open Source Tools: Full applications (free, self-host)
• SaaS/Commercial: Paid services (cost, no maintenance)
• Frameworks: Scaffolding for common patterns

Step 3: Estimate Vibe Coding Cost

Use the token estimation reference: references/token-estimates.md

Factors to estimate:

Step 4: Generate Comparison Table

Always present a decision table. Include internal rows only if Step 2a found prior-art:

| Option | Type | Cost | Setup Time | Maintenance | Token Burn | Verdict |
|--------|------|------|------------|-------------|------------|---------|
| Existing internal | Leverage | Free | minutes | Shared | 0 | ♻️ Reuse first |  <!-- only if Step 2a found match -->
| Existing internal | Extend | Free | hrs | You own the delta | low | 🔧 Adapt existing |  <!-- only if Step 2a found match -->
| [Solution A] | Library | Free | 5 min | Updates only | 0 | ✅ Recommended |
| [Solution B] | SaaS | $X/mo | Instant | None | 0 | ⚡ Fastest |
| Vibe Code | Custom | Free | X hrs | You own it | ~XK tokens | 🔧 Full control |

Step 5: Strategic build/buy/partner/defer (delegate)

This skill is tactical: "use an existing library/SaaS vs write glue code." When the decision is strategic (a capability investment needing Core-vs-Context classification, a weighted decision matrix, multi-year TCO, partner/defer options, or multi-stakeholder sign-off), STOP here and use the buy-vs-build-framework skill. It owns that decision and backs it with scripts (calculate_tco.py, score_decision.py, score_vendor.py). Do not re-derive that analysis here.

Hand off when any of these is true:

• Budget impact > ~$50K, or a 2+ year horizon
• The capability may be a competitive differentiator (a strategic core-versus-commodity call)
• Partner or defer is a live option (not just build vs use-existing)
• Multiple stakeholders must align on the choice

Otherwise continue below for the tactical recommendation.

Step 6: Recommendation Framework (Quick Reference)

Recommend internal reuse (Leverage/Extend) when:

• Step 2a found existing internal implementation
• Capability already exists in repo or org codebase
• Existing dependency already provides the functionality
• Internal code covers ≥80% of the requirement (extend for the rest)
• AND the capability is NOT security-sensitive (auth/crypto/payments). For security-sensitive needs, use the security-sensitive carve-out in Step 2a instead, even at ≥80% coverage.

Recommend existing solutions when:

• No internal prior-art found in Step 2a
• Mature library exists with >1K GitHub stars
• SaaS solves it for <$20/mo
• Common problem with well-tested solutions
• Security-sensitive (auth, crypto, payments). This overrides internal reuse-first. Prefer a vetted, widely-used external provider (e.g. Auth0/Clerk for auth, Stripe for payments) over extending or reusing a homegrown module, even when internal prior-art exists. The deciding rationale is the security-sensitive class itself (auth is never simple; you can't build it securely; homegrown payment code keeps PAN handling and PCI liability in-house), not coverage percentage.

Recommend vibe coding when:

• Highly specific business logic
• Simple glue code (<50 lines)
• Learning exercise (explicitly stated)
• No good existing solution found
• Integration requirements are unusual

Step 7: If Vibe Coding Proceeds

If user chooses to build after seeing alternatives:

1. Acknowledge the valid reasons
2. Suggest existing code as reference/inspiration
3. Recommend libraries for sub-components
4. Provide a hybrid approach when possible

Step 8: Integration Planning (When User Accepts Recommendation)

When the user accepts a recommended solution, provide a complete integration plan:

8.1 Detect Project Context

Before generating the plan, analyze the user's project:

• Package manager: Check for package.json (npm/yarn/pnpm), requirements.txt/pyproject.toml (pip/poetry), Cargo.toml (cargo), go.mod (go)
• Framework: Identify React, Vue, Next.js, Rails, Django, FastAPI, etc.
• Existing dependencies: Check for conflicts or complementary packages
• Project structure: Understand where new code should live (src/, lib/, app/, etc.)
• Code style: Match existing patterns (TypeScript vs JS, ESM vs CJS, etc.)

8.2 Generate Installation Commands

Provide ready-to-run commands for the detected package manager:

# npm
npm install <package>

# yarn
yarn add <package>

# pnpm
pnpm add <package>

# pip
pip install <package>

# poetry
poetry add <package>

8.3 Provide Integration Steps

Create a numbered action plan:

1. Install dependencies - Exact commands
2. Create/update config files - If the library needs configuration
3. Add to existing code - Where to import and initialize
4. Create new files - With suggested file paths matching project structure
5. Update related files - Any existing files that need modification

8.4 Generate Starter Code

Provide code scaffolding that:

• Matches the user's detected code style (TypeScript/JavaScript, etc.)
• Uses their existing patterns and conventions
• Includes necessary imports
• Shows basic usage with comments
• Handles common edge cases

8.5 Warn About Potential Issues

Flag any concerns:

• Dependency conflicts: "Note: This requires React 18+, you have React 17"
• Breaking changes: "This library had major changes in v3, examples are for v3"
• Peer dependencies: "You'll also need to install X"
• Config requirements: "Requires adding to your tsconfig/babel/webpack config"

Step 9: Cost Analysis (For Significant Decisions)

For features with meaningful cost implications (auth, payments, email, infrastructure), provide a quick tactical cost comparison (9.3). For a multi-year TCO/NPV, delegate to the buy-vs-build-framework skill (9.2); do not produce that analysis here.

9.1 When to Include Cost Analysis

Include cost table when:

• SaaS options have monthly fees > $10
• DIY token estimate > 50K tokens
• User asks about costs or "is it worth it"
• Comparing multiple paid services
• Security-sensitive features (auth, payments)

9.2 Multi-year TCO: delegate

For a multi-year TCO/NPV comparison (Year 1/3/5, discount rate, break-even, maintenance), use the buy-vs-build-framework skill's calculate_tco.py. Do not re-derive the NPV math here.

9.3 Tactical cost note

For the tactical "library vs glue code" choice, a one-line comparison is enough: SaaS monthly fee vs the DIY token-burn from Step 4 (pricing in references/pricing-data.md).

## 💰 Cost Note

| Option | Setup | Monthly | Notes |
|--------|-------|---------|-------|
| [SaaS A] | 10min | $25 | Free tier: 10K MAU |
| [Free/OSS] | 1hr | $0 | Self-host required |
| DIY | Xhrs | $0 | ~XK tokens + maintenance |

💡 Beyond a quick estimate, hand the multi-year TCO to buy-vs-build-framework.

9.4 Hidden Costs to Surface

Always mention relevant hidden costs:

• Security audits: $5K-50K for custom auth systems
• Compliance: SOC2, GDPR, PCI implementation time
• On-call burden: DIY = you're the support team
• Opportunity cost: Time not spent on core product
• Technical debt: Custom code needs maintenance forever

9.5 Red Flags to Call Out

Warn users when they say:

• "It's just a simple auth system" → Auth is never simple
• "We can build it in a weekend" → You can't, securely
• "We'll add security later" → Security debt is expensive
• "It's cheaper long-term" → Usually false under 10K users

Verification

• Internal prior-art was searched before external solutions.
• Security-sensitive capabilities used the Step 2a carve-out instead of reuse-first.
• Strategic decisions were handed to buy-vs-build-framework.
• Recommendation table includes only options supported by search evidence.
• Cost note uses the tactical estimate or delegates multi-year TCO.

Response Template

## 🔍 Existing Solutions Found

I found [N] existing solutions before we write custom code:

### Libraries/Packages
- **[Name]**: [one-line description] | [stars/downloads] | [link]

### Open Source Tools  
- **[Name]**: [one-line description] | [stars] | [link]

### SaaS Options
- **[Name]**: [one-line description] | [pricing] | [link]

## 📊 Build vs Buy Comparison

| Option | Type | Cost | Setup | Maintenance | Est. Tokens |
|--------|------|------|-------|-------------|-------------|
| ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |

## 💰 Cost Note (tactical)

| Option | Setup | Monthly | Notes |
|--------|-------|---------|-------|
| ... | ... | ... | ... |

⚠️ **Hidden costs:** [security, compliance, maintenance]
💡 For a multi-year TCO/NPV, hand off to `buy-vs-build-framework` (`calculate_tco.py`).

## 💡 Recommendation

[Clear recommendation with reasoning]

## 🔧 If You Still Want to Build

[Only if user wants custom solution - suggest hybrid approach]

Integration Plan Template (When User Accepts)

When the user says "let's use [recommended solution]" or "how do I add this?", respond with:

## 🚀 Integration Plan: [Solution Name]

### Your Project Context
- **Detected**: [framework], [package manager], [language]
- **Project structure**: [src/app/lib layout]

### Step 1: Install Dependencies

\`\`\`bash
[exact install command for their package manager]
\`\`\`

### Step 2: Configuration (if needed)

[Any config file changes needed]

### Step 3: Create New Files

📁 `[suggested/file/path.ts]`
\`\`\`typescript
[starter code matching their project style]
\`\`\`

### Step 4: Update Existing Files

📝 `[existing/file/to/modify.ts]`
\`\`\`typescript
// Add this import
import { X } from '[package]'

// Use it like this
[integration code]
\`\`\`

### ⚠️ Notes
- [Any warnings about versions, conflicts, or requirements]

### 📚 Resources
- [Official docs link]
- [Relevant examples]

Anti-Patterns to Flag

Alert users when they're about to reinvent:

• Authentication systems → "Use Auth0, Clerk, Supabase Auth"
• State management → "Consider Zustand, Redux Toolkit, Jotai"
• Form validation → "Check out Zod, Yup, React Hook Form"
• API clients → "Look at Axios, ky, ofetch"
• Date handling → "Use date-fns, dayjs, Luxon"
• CLI tools → "Consider Commander, yargs, oclif"
• PDF generation → "Use pdf-lib, jsPDF, Puppeteer"
• Email sending → "Check Resend, SendGrid, Nodemailer"
• Cron jobs → "Use node-cron, Bull, Agenda"
• Database ORMs → "Consider Prisma, Drizzle, TypeORM"

Quick Reference: Common Token Burns

See references/token-estimates.md for detailed breakdowns.

See references/common-solutions.md for exhaustive list of commonly reinvented wheels.

See references/integration-patterns.md for project detection and starter code patterns.

See references/pricing-data.md for SaaS pricing and cost calculation data.

See references/bitter-lesson-llms.md for why simpler integrations with better models beat complex scaffolding.