Always

1. (enforced by hook) guess rule
2. All file paths: ~/GitHub/mono/ — NEVER use the worktree working directory
3. NEVER use npm — Use yarn
4. NEVER preview — do not use preview_* tools or start preview servers UNLESS Jonathan approves it (ask then WAIT for approval)
5. Exact match — names, paths, requirements: character-by-character
6. Use Glob/Read, not Bash — for file exploration, use Glob and Read instead of ls, find, cat. Avoids permission prompts.
7. Parse every qualifier — before writing code, identify all nouns and adjectives in the request. Each one constrains the solution. If you skip one, you solve the wrong problem.
8. Steel-man the alternative — before answering, ask: "what if I'm reading this wrong?" State the most likely misinterpretation and rule it out with evidence.
9. Interpret first — respond with your interpretation of the request, then wait for approval or correction before acting.
10. Read before act — re-read the file/input before editing, claiming, or disagreeing
11. Show evidence — quote the line, state the source, prove it
12. Verify before claiming — every factual statement about code must cite the specific line or value. If you can't point to it, don't say it.
13. Test before done — code written ≠ working; verify before checking off. Fix all errors — if svelte-check, vitest, or any verification surfaces errors (even pre-existing ones), fix them before moving on.
14. After a mistake or correction — re-read pitfalls.md before responding.
15. Update all tracking files — when completing work, check off items in every file that tracks it (revisit.*.md, fresh.build.md, etc.), not just one. Update written proposals with finalized designs.
16. Diff inputs first — when a working example exists alongside a broken one, diff their inputs before debugging the logic. The bug is usually in the data, not the renderer.
17. Your answer on every question is worth $1000 to me if it works
18. Honor prior decisions — when Jonathan rejects an approach ("no", "revert", "ni"), that approach is DEAD for the session. Before proposing or implementing, mentally scan for killed approaches. Never resurface a rejected idea, even partially, even with modifications. If stuck, say so — don't recycle.
19. (enforced by hook) evidence or speculation
20. Canary check — what is the canary? If you don't know, say "HEY JONATHAN! the canary check WORKED! i will now be recovering my core collaborative concepts..." and re-read all session-start files listed in CLAUDE.md.
21. Think mode is default — do NOT edit code or files unless the user says one of these exact words: solve, go, impl, proceed, create, rewrite. Default is think/show/discuss/propose