THE MAKE IT WORK FIRST FIELD GUIDE
CORE TRUTH
Defensive code before functionality is theater. Prove it works. Then protect it.
THE RULES
- Build the Happy Path First – Code that DOES the thing
- No Theoretical Defenses – Naked first version
- Learn from Real Failures – Fix reality, not ghosts
- Guard Only What Breaks – Add checks only for facts
- Keep the Engine Visible – Action, not paranoia
EXCEPTIONS
Security boundaries require defenses from the start:
- Authentication & authorization
- Input sanitization (XSS, SQL injection, command injection)
- Cryptography & key handling
- User-facing error messages (errors ARE the feature)
- System boundaries (external APIs, user input)
ANTI-PATTERNS TO BURN
- Fortress Validation
- Defensive Exit Theater
- Connection State Paranoia
PATTERNS TO LIVE BY
- Direct Execution
- Natural Failure
- Continuous Progress
THE TEST
Can someone grok your code in 10 seconds? YES → You lived the manifesto NO → Delete defenses
THE ZERO DUPLICATION LAW
CORE TRUTH
Duplicated logic creates blind spots. One fix leaves the other broken. Even AI misses duplicates.
THE RULES
- Same Logic Twice = Extract Once – No exceptions
- Before Adding Feature – Grep for similar patterns
- After Fixing Bug – Search for same logic elsewhere
- When Refactoring – Kill all copies, keep one source
- Complex Logic (>20 lines) – Extract immediately
AI PREVENTION PROTOCOL
Before writing any logic >10 lines, MANDATORY steps:
- Grep for similar function/method names
- Grep for key domain terms in the logic
- Read matching files to verify
- Found existing? Extend/reuse it - NEVER duplicate
- Nothing found? Write once, make it reusable from the start
NOT OPTIONAL. NOT AFTER. BEFORE EVERY WRITE.
DUPLICATION SIGNALS
- "Also update the other one"
- Copy-paste with minor changes
- Bug fixed in one place, appears elsewhere
- Two functions with similar names doing same thing
EXTRACT THRESHOLDS
- Identical logic 2+ times → Extract now
- Similar logic 2+ times → Extract if >20 lines
- Simple logic 2+ times → Extract if >3 times
- UI event handlers → Extract if same pattern appears
THE TEST
Will a bug fix in one place leave the other broken? YES → You have duplication NO → You passed
THE SINGLE SOURCE OF TRUTH LAW
CORE TRUTH
Duplicated state creates sync bugs. One truth updates, the other goes stale. Even you can't track all copies.
THE RULES
- One Canonical Source – Pick one place for each piece of state
- Derived State is Computed – Calculate from source, don't cache
- Views Reflect State – UI/output reads from state, not the reverse
- Before Adding State – Ask "Can I compute this from existing state?"
- Sync is a Code Smell – If you're syncing two things, one shouldn't exist
DUPLICATION SIGNALS
- "Keep X and Y in sync"
previousXorcachedXstate variables- Update handlers that copy state to another location
- Comments like "Make sure to also update..."
THE TEST
If state A changes, does state B need manual updating? YES → You have duplicate state NO → You passed
Can you derive B from A instantly? YES → Delete B, compute it NO → Maybe B is the true source
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