1.1 KiB
name, description, metadata
| name | description | metadata | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| feedback_simplest_solution_first | Always try the simplest solution to a problem first; escalate to complex only as needed |
|
Always START with the simplest solution that could solve the problem. Confirm it works, then graduate to more advanced/complicated approaches only as the simple one proves insufficient.
Why: Mike watched a "ask the UDM what IP it thinks VWP-QBS is" turn balloon into vault
reads, plink host-key pinning, and password sanity checks — when the clean answer was a single
nslookup vwp-qbs.vwp.us 172.16.9.1 from a machine already on the VPN. The heavy path burned
tokens and his patience ("incapable of doing things cleanly like a week ago"). Now a standing
CLAUDE.md core rule.
How to apply: Before picking tooling, ask "what is the least-complex thing that answers this?" — one DNS lookup, one API call, one command. Do that first and observe the result. Only reach for SSH/plink/double-hops/multi-step orchestration when the simple probe genuinely can't answer. Escalate deliberately, not by default. See feedback_verify_live_before_acting.