Scope Discipline

Hard Rule

Do exactly what the task asks. Nothing more.

Warning Signs

If you catch yourself thinking:

• "While I'm here, I should also..."
• "This would be cleaner if I refactored..."
• "Let me add error handling for edge cases that might..."
• "I'll add a helper function for future use..."
• "This needs better types/documentation..."
• "Let me make this more configurable..."

STOP. Complete the task as specified first. Note improvements in handoff if genuinely valuable.

What Counts as Scope Creep

| In Scope | Out of Scope | |----------|--------------| | Fix the bug reported | Refactor surrounding code | | Add requested feature | Add "nice to have" extras | | Handle specified cases | Handle hypothetical cases | | Use existing patterns | Introduce new patterns | | Modify listed files | "While I'm here" changes |

The Test

Before making a change, ask: "Did the task explicitly ask for this?"

• Yes → Do it
• No, but necessary for task → Do it, explain why
• No, but would be nice → Don't do it. Note in handoff if important.

Recovery

If you've already gone out of scope:

1. Revert uncommitted scope creep
2. Complete original task
3. Propose extras as separate follow-up task