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Zee Academy · Lesson 18 · Agentic AI: Subagents, Skills and Rules

Project Rules and Simple Code: Less Is More

The best code is the code you never had to write. How project rules and a few simple questions prevent over-engineering, both for you and for AI agents.

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What you will learn

  • Four questions before writing new code: 1. Do we need this at all? 2. Does it already exist in the project? 3. Does a library we already use solve it? 4. Can it fit in a few lines?
  • No premature abstractions: write simple, clear and direct code.
  • The smallest correct change wins.
  • No unnecessary dependencies: don't install a 50 MB package for a three-line function.
  • Project rules (e.g. AGENTS.md) record the conventions you've agreed on, so both people and AI agents follow them.

Why simplicity saves time and money

Every unnecessary library is a potential security risk and extra work with every upgrade. Less code means fewer bugs and easier maintenance.

Tip from practice

Before you accept a solution from an agent, ask it: "Can this be simpler, with fewer new lines of code?" It will often come back with a noticeably cleaner solution.