Elegant Redo

After working through a problem and gaining deep context about the codebase, constraints, and edge cases, step back, discard the current approach, and reimplement from scratch with the simplest, most elegant solution.

Steps

1. Synthesize what was learned: Review the conversation history. Identify:

   • The core problem being solved
   • Constraints and edge cases discovered along the way
   • What made the current approach complex or unsatisfying
   • Any insights that only became clear after working through it

2. Identify the essential complexity: Separate what is truly necessary from accidental complexity. Ask: "What is the minimum viable design if explained to a senior engineer with full context?"

3. Design the elegant solution: Before writing any code, describe the new approach in 3-5 sentences. It should be:

   • Simpler than what exists (fewer moving parts, less indirection)
   • More direct (shortest path from input to output)
   • Obvious in hindsight ("of course it should work this way")