first-10-moves

# First 10 Moves When dropped into an unfamiliar codebase or asked to fix something in code you don't know — run this sequence before doing anything else. The principle: **most "clarification" questions are answered by 5 minutes in the relevant file.** If the answer is in the code, the docs, or the file tree — find it there before asking. ## When to use - Fresh in an unfamiliar codebase - Asked to fix or change code in an area you haven't worked in - Tempted to ask "where does X live?" or "how does Y work?" - Triggered by Caddy on prompts like: "fix the X", "investigate", "trace this bug", "how does X work", "unfamiliar codebase", "where is X defined", "what calls Y", "navigate the code", "find the bug in" ## The sequence (run top-to-bottom) ### 1. Re-read the user's request Look for clues. "Fix" implies a bug. "The headline generator" implies a named module. Note any screenshots, errors, or examples included. **The exact phrasing embeds most of the diagnosis** — don't abstract it away. ### 2. Get the lay of the land (~30 seconds) - List project root - Identify main source directory - Read `package.json` / `pyproject.toml` / `Cargo.toml` (whatever the manifest is) - Read README if short This rules out a lot. You learn the language, framework, build system, and entry point in 30 seconds. ### 3. Search for the keyword across the project One ripgrep, filtered to relevant extensions. The matches will cluster around the real module. ### 4. Pick the most likely 2-3 matched...