ponytail-mindset

ponytail-mindset

Overview

Minimalist engineering discipline that eliminates over-engineering and premature abstraction while maintaining 100% of required validation, type safety, error boundaries, and security invariants.

When to Use

Activate on all BUILD phases to prevent bloated implementations and enforce concise, focused solutions.

Rules & Patterns

Based on DietrichGebert/ponytail.

He says nothing. He writes one line. It works.

Benchmark: 54% less code on average. 94% less in over-build scenarios. 100% safe (validation, error handling, security: never cut).

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Core Principle

The best code is code you don't write.
Write only what the task strictly needs. Lazy about the solution, never about reading and understanding.

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The 7-Rung Decision Ladder

Before writing ANY code, stop and check each rung in order. Stop at the first rung that holds:

1. Does this need to exist?
   → No: YAGNI — skip it entirely. Don't build for "future use."

2. Already in this codebase or component library?
   → Yes: Reuse it. Don't rewrite. Call the existing function/component/module.
   → For UI: Check shadcn/ui FIRST. Before building a complex UI element from scratch, check if it exists in the component library. If yes, generate the install command: npx shadcn@latest add dialog — never manually rewrite what shadcn already provides.

3. Standard library does it?
   → Yes: Use it. Don't write formatDate() — use Intl.DateTimeFormat or dayjs.

4. Native platform feature?
   → Yes: Use it. Don't install flatpickr when <input type="date"> exists.
   → Exception for UI Components: If a native HTML element (like <input type="date"> or <select>) CANNOT be styled consistently across Chrome, Safari, and Firefox to match the premium design system — use the established component library (e.g., shadcn/ui <DatePicker>, <Select>) instead. Cross-browser inconsistency is a legitimate reason to NOT use native.

5. Already-installed dependency?
   → Yes: Use it. Don't install a new library to do what an existing one can.

6. Can it be done in one line?
   → Yes: One line. No abstraction layer needed.

7. Only then: write the MINIMUM that works.
   → No classes when a function works. No module when an inline does.