model-forwardlisted

# Model-Forward Skill The standing mental model for every session: **always go with Claude — not against it — until the user says otherwise.** Models improve continuously. Mechanics that skills hand-hold today (planning etiquette, routing, verification reminders) keep merging into the model itself. Betting against that trend produces scaffolding that fights the harness. Betting with it keeps only what stays valuable as models get smarter. ## The Two Invariants Everything in continuous-improvement reduces to two things that survive every model generation: 1. **Goal-driven execution.** Anchor on the highest stated goal — the higher the goal, the better the execution. Tie every change to it, refuse scope creep, stop when it is met. (Laws 2, 3, 4, 6.) 2. **Self-discipline / guardrails.** Research before executing, verify before reporting, reflect and learn after. Guardrails are how an agent earns autonomy. (Laws 1, 4, 5, 7.) Skill mechanics are scaffolding around those two. The invariants are the product; the scaffolding is replaceable. ## Decision Rules | Situation | Model-forward call | |---|---| | A native Claude Code feature now covers what a custom skill or hook does | Prefer the native path; propose retiring the scaffold instead of maintaining a parallel one | | A skill's instructions conflict with current Claude Code best practice | Follow Claude Code best practice; flag the skill for update | | Tempted to add scaffolding to compensate for a model weakness | First