Reference First

Most things you are asked to build have been built before by teams who spent months on them and fixed the incidents that followed. This skill routes each task to the right kind of reference, finds two or three good ones, and turns them into a short, cited blueprint before any code is written. Build on a named, inspected reference, never on what seems plausible.

The Prime Directive

NO DESIGN WITHOUT A NAMED, INSPECTED REFERENCE

No exceptions. No workarounds. No shortcuts.

A reference you remember is not a reference. A reference counts once you have opened it in this session, read the part you are borrowing, and can link to it.

When to Use