Instruction File Cleanup

Restructure bloated instruction files (CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md, Cursor rules, etc.) to restore agent performance. Follows a three-phase cycle: Audit the full instruction surface area, Plan where each piece of content should live, Implement the restructuring with verification.

Why This Matters

Instruction files are a prompt budget, not documentation. Every line loads into the agent's context window and competes for attention with the actual task. Research shows instruction-following degrades uniformly as instruction count rises — bloated files don't just waste the middle, they degrade adherence everywhere.

The Three Phases

digraph cleanup {
  rankdir=LR;
  "AUDIT" -> "PLAN" -> "IMPLEMENT";
  "AUDIT" [shape=box, label="AUDIT\nMeasure everything"];
  "PLAN" [shape=box, label="PLAN\nClassify every section"];
  "IMPLEMENT" [shape=box, label="IMPLEMENT\nRestructure + verify"];
}