About principle-foundational-thinking
A software-development skill for making structural and code-level decisions that preserve flexibility while keeping implementations simple. It emphasizes choosing data structures early, scaffolding shared foundations, and isolating unsafe shared state.
Key features
- 01Choose data structures before logic
- 02Prefer explicit, simple code
- 03Isolate concurrently modified state
- 04Set up shared foundations early
- 05Remove dead code before scaffolding
Use cases
- 01Plan data models before implementation
- 02Sequence CI, tests, and features
- 03Review abstractions and code increments
Install
Copy the command and run it in a terminal.
npx skills add https:/After installing, type/principle-foundational-thinkingin Claude Code to confirm it loaded.
Details
From the project READMEFoundational Thinking
Structural decisions protect option value. Code-level decisions protect simplicity.
Data structures first. Get the data shape right before writing logic. Define core types early, trace every access pattern, and choose structures that match the dominant paths.
At code level, DRY the structure, not every line. Types and data models should converge. Three similar statements still beat a premature abstraction. Prefer explicit over clever. Test behavior and edge cases, not line counts.
Concurrency corollary. Before sharing state between actors, ask "what happens if another actor modifies this concurrently?" If not "nothing", isolate.
Scaffold first. If something helps every later phase, do it first. Ask "does every subsequent phase benefit from this existing?" CI, linting, test infrastructure, and shared types are scaffold. Sequence for option value: setup before features, tests before fixes. Keep commits small and single-purpose.
Each increment should land a coherent abstraction or deepen one that exists. Do not spread a new capability across callers as special-case coordination.
Subtraction comes before scaffolding. Remove dead code first, then lay foundations.