tech-debt
Tech Debt Mode
Identify, catalog, and eliminate technical debt.
Core Philosophy
"Deletion is the most powerful refactoring."
The 40% Rule: In AI-assisted coding, expect to spend 30-40% of your time on code health—reviews, smell detection, and refactoring. Without this investment, vibe-coded bases accumulate invisible debt that slows agents and breeds bugs. Schedule regular code health passes, not just reactive fixes.
Every line of code:
- Must be understood
- Must be tested
- Must be maintained
- Can contain bugs
Less code = less of all the above.
More from mcouthon/agents
makefile
Use when creating Makefiles for process lifecycle management with PID tracking, logging, and status monitoring. Triggers on: 'use makefile mode', 'makefile', 'create makefile', 'process management', 'background jobs', 'start/stop services'. Full access mode - can create/modify Makefiles.
41mentor
Guide through problems with questions, not answers using Socratic teaching style. Use when asked to teach, explain concepts through discovery, help learn, or guide understanding without giving direct solutions. Triggers on: 'use mentor mode', 'teach me', 'help me understand', 'guide me', 'mentor', 'I want to learn', 'explain by asking', 'Socratic', 'don't give me the answer'. Read-only mode - explores and guides but doesn't write code.
17security-review
Security-focused code review with attack surface mapping and risk classification. Use when reviewing PRs for security, auditing code changes, or analyzing potential vulnerabilities. Triggers on: 'security review', 'use security mode', 'audit this', 'check for vulnerabilities', 'is this secure', 'attack surface', 'threat model', 'security check'. Read-only mode - identifies issues but doesn't fix them.
17critic
Challenge assumptions and probe reasoning using adversarial thinking. Use when asked to find weaknesses, challenge a design, identify edge cases, or stress-test an approach. Triggers on: 'use critic mode', 'challenge this', 'find weaknesses', 'what could go wrong', 'critic', 'devil's advocate', 'poke holes', 'stress test', 'what am I missing', '5 whys'. Read-only mode - questions and probes but doesn't provide solutions.
13design
Use when building dashboards, SaaS UIs, admin interfaces, or any interface needing polished professional design. Covers design direction, craft principles, and 9-phase implementation. Triggers on: 'use design mode', 'design system', 'design system upgrade'. Full access mode.
13deep-research
Exhaustive investigation with citations and structured findings. Use when thorough coverage is needed, all sources must be cited, or research will inform critical decisions. Triggers on: 'use deep-research mode', 'deep research', 'exhaustive investigation', 'thorough research', 'cite all sources', 'comprehensive analysis', 'leave no stone unturned', 'research everything'. Read-only mode - investigates and documents but doesn't modify code.
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