Why it exists
AI agents write too much code: wrappers for one caller, factories for one product, a date-picker library where <input type="date"> would do. chisel is the reflex that carves that away. It’s also how this site was built.
Pass 1: the ladder
Climb in order and stop at the first rung that holds: YAGNI → Boy Scout → DRY → Stdlib → Native → Installed dependency → One line → Minimum code.
The ladder runs after understanding the problem. Read the task, trace the real flow end to end, then climb. It shortens the solution, never the reading.
Pass 2: the discipline gate
A diff-driven audit after every write. Were the touched files left cleaner? Does each new abstraction pass the Rule of Three? Could the standard library or platform replace each new dependency? Does each chisel: comment name its ceiling and its upgrade path?
What it never cuts
Input validation at trust boundaries, error handling that prevents data loss, security measures, accessibility basics, and anything the user explicitly asks for. Those are part of the skill definition and no mode switches them off.