---
name: feedback_calibrate_effort_to_stakes
description: Don't over-verify or over-engineer low-consequence setup; prefer the simplest path
metadata:
  type: feedback
---

When a detail is low-stakes, Mike wants effort calibrated to it — stop deep
verification and take the simplest path. Concretely: when the Grok `AGENTS.md`
context file didn't load in every CLI mode (only review modes, not text/verify),
Mike cut off the mode-by-mode probing with "It's not that consequential. You can
just include those instructions in the prompt."

**Why:** Chasing a complete fix for a marginal-value detail burns time and tokens
for no real benefit. The cheap, good-enough path (put the instruction in the
prompt when it actually matters) beats engineering robust file discovery.

**How to apply:** Before deep-verifying or building a robust mechanism, judge the
consequence. For low-stakes items, confirm the happy path works, note the
limitation plainly, and move on — offer the heavier fix only if asked. Reserve
adversarial verification for things where being wrong is costly.