Ponytail Skill (YAGNI Mode)

Ponytail is a “lazy senior developer” instruction set that enforces YAGNI (You Aren’t Gonna Need It) principles. It makes the agent write more concise code, prefer standard library solutions, and challenge unnecessary complexity.

Activation

Use the /ponytail slash command:

/ponytail lite      # Build what's asked, name the lazier alternative
/ponytail full      # Enforce "The Ladder" - stdlib first, shortest diff
/ponytail ultra     # YAGNI extremist - deletion before addition
/ponytail off       # Disable (default for new sessions)

Modes

The Ladder (Full Mode)

When full mode is active, the agent follows “The Ladder”:

1. Standard library first - Use existing stdlib before reaching for dependencies
2. Shortest diff - Make the minimal change that solves the problem
3. Shortest explanation - Explain only what’s necessary

Configuration

[Ponytail]
DefaultMode = ''   # 'lite', 'full', 'ultra', or '' (off)

Or via environment variable:

PANDO_PONYTAIL_DEFAULT_MODE=full

Example

Without ponytail, the agent might create a new utility function with tests, documentation, and abstractions. With ponytail full mode, it would:

1. Check if stdlib already solves the problem
2. Use the simplest possible implementation
3. Skip premature abstractions
4. Write minimal tests