About build-optimization
A guidance skill for analyzing and improving build systems and developer tooling. It is for teams seeking shorter feedback loops and more efficient CI, covering profiling, caching, incremental and parallel builds, and tooling configuration.
Key features
- 01Build performance profiling
- 02Local, remote, and distributed caching
- 03Incremental and parallel builds
- 04Bundle splitting and tree shaking
- 05Developer tooling and monorepo setup
Use cases
- 01Finding bottlenecks in slow builds
- 02Improving cache use in CI
- 03Shortening watch-mode rebuilds
- 04Configuring monorepo build tools
Install
Copy the command and run it in a terminal.
npx skills add https:/ / github.com/ nickcrew/ claude-cortex --skill build-optimizationAfter installing, type/build-optimizationin Claude Code to confirm it loaded.
Bundled filesreferences/build-systems.mdreferences/developer-tooling.md
Details
From the project READMEBuild Optimization
Expert guidance for optimizing build systems, reducing compilation times, maximizing cache hit rates, and building developer tools that enhance productivity across the development lifecycle.
When to Use This Skill
- Diagnosing slow build times and identifying bottlenecks
- Configuring caching strategies (local, remote, distributed)
- Setting up incremental builds and parallel execution
- Optimizing CI/CD pipeline performance and cost
- Designing or improving bundle splitting and tree shaking
- Building CLIs, plugins, code generators, or IDE extensions
- Configuring monorepo tooling (Nx, Turborepo, Bazel)
- Reducing developer feedback loop times (hot reload, watch mode)
- Managing build artifacts and reproducibility
Quick Reference
| Task | Load reference |
|---|---|
| Compilation, caching, incremental builds, CI/CD optimization | skills/build-optimization/references/build-systems.md |
| Plugin systems, code generation, linting, IDE integration, monorepo tooling | skills/build-optimization/references/developer-tooling.md |
Core Targets
- Build time under 30 seconds for development builds
- Rebuild time under 5 seconds with watch mode
- Cache hit rate above 90% in CI
- Zero flaky builds in production pipelines
- Reproducible builds across environments
Workflow
1. Performance Analysis
Profile the current build before making changes.
- Measure cold build, incremental rebuild, and hot reload times
- Profile CPU, memory, and I/O during builds
- Map the dependency graph and identify bottlenecks
- Evaluate cache hit rates and invalidation patterns
- Review current tool configuration for missed optimizations
2. Optimization
Apply targeted improvements based on profiling data.
- Enable incremental compilation and caching
- Configure parallel execution across available cores
- Set up code splitting and tree shaking
- Optimize module resolution and source transformation
- Implement remote or distributed caching for CI
3. Tooling
Build or configure developer tools for fast feedback loops.
- Configure watch mode and hot module replacement
- Set up clear error messages and progress indicators
- Integrate build analytics and performance dashboards
- Add pre-commit hooks for format, lint, and validation
4. Monitoring
Track build health over time.
- Set up automated build time tracking and alerting
- Monitor cache hit rates and bundle size trends
- Detect performance regressions in CI
- Review and optimize periodically based on data
Common Mistakes
- Optimizing without profiling first
- Disabling caching due to intermittent issues instead of fixing invalidation
- Running full builds when incremental builds would suffice
- Not parallelizing independent build tasks
- Ignoring I/O as a bottleneck (disk speed, network latency)
- Letting bundle sizes grow unchecked without analysis
- Using a single build configuration for development and production