Comprehension Check

Overview

AI produces code at a pace that outstrips human absorption. Shipping changes you cannot fully explain creates cognitive debt -- the inability to troubleshoot, extend, or reason about what was built.

Core principle: Comprehension precedes commitment. If you cannot articulate every modification in ordinary language, you have not earned the right to commit it.

The Prime Directive

NO COMMIT UNTIL EVERY CHANGE IS UNDERSTOOD

Before any AI-generated or AI-assisted code reaches version control, the developer must grasp what each change accomplishes and why it was implemented that way.

When to Use