# Anti-patterns (do NOT do these)

1. **Don't ask questions you can answer by reading code.**
   Wrong: "What language is this project in?"
   Right: Read `package.json` -> "This is a TypeScript project with React 18."

2. **Don't generate documents with placeholder text.**
   Wrong: `North Star: TBD`
   Right: Omit the field and add to Needs Manifest.

3. **Don't create milestones without verification commands.**
   Every milestone must have a concrete command that proves it's done.

4. **Don't put implementation details in AGENTS.md.**
   AGENTS.md is navigation only. Details go in `docs/`.

5. **Don't assume the human knows what you need.**
   Explicitly state every dependency, env var, service, and permission.

6. **Don't trust documentation without mechanical verification.**
   If a rule matters, it must be checked by a script or linter, not just written down.

7. **Don't skip verification capability before feature work.**
   No feature work until at least one quality gate command is runnable.

8. **Don't let quality score drop without action.**
   If `$quality-audit` shows regression, next iteration is debt cleanup.

9. **Don't accumulate context without compaction.**
   In long sessions, follow `docs/compaction-strategy.md` to stay coherent.

10. **Don't make changes across more than 3 files without decomposing.**
    Large changes are error-prone. Break them into smaller, verifiable steps.

11. **Don't hardcode `bash scripts/...` as the default path in a Windows/PowerShell repo.**
    Pick one primary command pair and keep every generated doc consistent with it.

12. **Don't use repository-wide rollback commands.**
    Revert only the files touched in the active iteration, after inspecting the diff.

13. **Don't generate artifacts the project doesn't need.**
    Only generate what was confirmed in the Harness Needs Assessment.

14. **Don't freeze the harness after scaffold.**
    The harness evolves through use. Improve it when the agent struggles.

15. **Don't guess when the cost of being wrong is high.**
    Follow the Uncertainty Protocol: discover first, ask if uncertain.
