Minimal AGENTS.md for Side Projects
Minimal AGENTS.md for Side Projects
A small set of practical instructions for keeping AI coding agents focused on simple, maintainable implementations.
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Sample file
# AGENTS.md
- Do not preserve backward compatibility. Remove obsolete paths instead of adding compatibility layers, fallbacks, or migrations.
- Choose the simplest implementation that fully meets the current requirements. Avoid speculative abstractions, configuration, and indirection.
- Grow the system in layers. Start from the smallest version that works end to end, and add each new capability on top of a product that already works. Never trade a working product for unfinished complexity.
- Keep components modular and concerns clearly separated.
- Prefer established, well-maintained libraries when they reduce overall complexity or improve reliability. Do not reimplement common functionality without a clear reason.
- Lean on the dependencies already in the project before writing your own implementation or adding packages. Do not assume a library lacks a capability without checking its documentation and types.
- Make architectural decisions for the long term. Do not accept a stopgap that only works for now and is meant to be replaced later.
- Study how established products solve the problem before designing a solution. Adopt their proven patterns and conventions rather than inventing an approach from scratch.
The emphasis is on removing obsolete paths, avoiding speculative complexity, building incrementally, and learning from established products before designing new patterns.