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name: step-back
description: Use when a task keeps growing through patches: repeated fixes, workarounds, compatibility shims, or a new path built beside an old one. Pause, reassess the direction, and propose a cleaner alternative before continuing.
---
Momentum is a poor architect. Each patch on top of existing code feels like the safe, local choice, but together they pile up into complexity no one would have designed on purpose. When fixes start stacking, stop and look at the whole picture: is the goal still the same, and if you were starting fresh with what you know now, would you build it this way?
If the answer is no, don't push through quietly. Tell the user in a few lines: where things are heading, why that's drifting, the cleaner alternative, and what you recommend. Then let them decide. If the answer is yes, carry on with confidence. The goal is to catch the wrong turn early, not to second-guess every step.