boring-engineeringGitHub

Build exactly what the current problem requires.

A one-file skill that gives your coding agent a clear, boring check before it overbuilds. What's needed gets built. Nothing more.

GitHub · SKILL.md · One file, ~100 tokens at idle

Install - 10 seconds, no dependencies

No hooks, no Node, no build step. Just copy one file.

curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/alvindemesadev/boring-engineering/main/SKILL.md
mkdir -p .claude/skills/boring-engineering && cp SKILL.md .claude/skills/boring-engineering/

Same path for .cursor/skills, .opencode/skills, .codex/skills - see all 40+

A quick example - same result, less to maintain

You say "send an email on signup." Without boring, the agent anticipates a future with many providers. With boring, it checks: is that futures real? No. So it stays direct.

WITHOUT - 6 files you now own
NotificationService (abstract)
EmailNotificationProvider
PushNotificationProvider
NotificationFactory
NotificationRegistry
INotificationStrategy
WITH - 5 lines you can read at a glance
export async function sendSignupEmail(user) {
  await mailer.send({ to: user.email,
    subject: 'Welcome',
    html: welcomeTemplate(user) });
}
Same behavior. No wrong abstraction to untangle later.

How it works

Four checks. Stops at the first no. ~100 tokens when idle, full check only on task.

01
Required? Was it explicitly asked for? If no, do not build it.
02
Exists? Search the codebase first. If found, reuse it.
03
Simple? Plain function over class. Direct call over indirection. If it needs explaining, simplify.
04
Abstract? Only if all three are true: appears in several real places, all need the same change, nameable without and/or. Otherwise keep it direct. Duplication is cheaper than the wrong abstraction.

Final check: Can this be simpler? Did I add anything not asked for? If yes, revise.