Deleting Agent Scaffolding: Dev Questions If 14 Skills and 80 Reference Files Are Overkill

aofu_dev · reddit · 2026-09-09

A developer on Reddit reflects on over-engineered planning workflows in AI coding agents like Claude Code and Codex. He counted 14 skill files (20,700 words) and 80 markdown reference files in Superpowers, covering brainstorm, design docs, planning, execution, and verification. But when tasks are already specced in trackers like Linear, he questions the need for brainstorming and rarely reads plan files. Citing Claude's blog advice to remove scaffolding and see what breaks, he suspects some processes are habits from weaker models. He hasn't tried yet, fearing they might be load-bearing. He asks the community which planning or verification steps remain essential when tasks are pre-specified, and what breaks if skipped.

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