Keep It Simple
Use when implementing a feature or fix and tempted to add abstraction, configuration, options, or flexibility beyond what was actually asked for. Makes the agent write the minimum code that solves the real problem, instead of speculative complexity built for imagined future needs.
Install
$ agentstack add skill-buildmoonshot-skillpacks-keep-it-simple ✓ scanned · ✓ verified, works with Claude Code, Cursor, and more.
Security review
✓ PassedNo issues found. Passed automated security review. · v0.1.0 How review works →
- ✓ Prompt-injection patterns
- ✓ Secret / credential exfiltration
- ✓ Dangerous shell & filesystem operations
- ✓ Untrusted network calls
- ✓ Known-malicious package signatures
What it can access
- ✓ Network access No
- ✓ Filesystem access No
- ✓ Shell / process execution No
- ✓ Environment & secrets No
- ✓ Dynamic code execution No
From automated source analysis of v0.1.0. “Used” means the capability is present in the source — more access means more to trust, not that it’s unsafe.
Verified badge
Passed review? Show it. Paste this badge into your README, it links to the public security report.
Links to your public security report.[](https://agentstack.voostack.com/security/report/skill-buildmoonshot-skillpacks-keep-it-simple) Reliability & compatibility
Declared compatibility
Compatibility is declared by the source manifest. End-to-end runtime verification is coming, see below.
We're building live execution health for every listing: tool-call success rate, median latency, uptime, and last-checked timestamps, measured, not self-reported. It isn't live yet, so we don't show numbers we can't stand behind.
How agent discovery & health will work →About
Keep It Simple
Write the minimum code that solves the actual problem. Speculative complexity is a cost you pay now for a future that usually never arrives.
Defaults
- Don't build for requirements you don't have. No config options, plugin systems, or "flexibility" nobody asked for. Solve today's problem; generalize later if a second case actually shows up.
- No abstraction for single use. Don't extract an interface, a base class, or a factory for something used once. Two concrete cases earn an abstraction; one does not.
- Don't handle impossible cases. Validate real inputs; don't write error handling for states that can't occur in this code path.
- Prefer the boring solution. A plain function beats a clever pattern when both work. Clever is a tax every future reader pays.
The test
Before adding a layer, ask:
> Would a senior engineer look at this and say it's overcomplicated?
If yes, delete the cleverness and write the direct version.
When complexity IS warranted
Real, present requirements justify real structure — genuine duplication, a known second use case, an actual extensibility need someone asked for. The rule isn't "never abstract." It's "don't abstract speculatively." Earn each layer with a concrete reason.
Why this matters
Every speculative abstraction is code to read, test, debug, and maintain — in exchange for flexibility you may never use. The simplest version that works is almost always the right one, and it's far easier to add structure later than to remove it.
Source & license
This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.
- Author: buildmoonshot
- Source: buildmoonshot/skillpacks
- License: MIT
Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.
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Versions
- v0.1.0 Imported from the upstream source.