Simplifying Code

Principles

Principle	Rule
Preserve behavior	Output must do exactly what the input did -- no silent feature additions or removals. Specifically preserve: async/sync boundaries (do not convert sync to async or reverse), error propagation paths (do not alter strategy), logging/telemetry/guards/retries that encode operational intent, and domain-specific steps (do not collapse into generic helpers that hide intent)
Explicit over clever	Prefer explicit variables over nested expressions. Readable beats compact
Simplicity over cleanliness	Prefer straightforward code over pattern-heavy "clean" code. Three similar lines beat a premature abstraction
Surgical changes	Touch only what needs simplifying. Match existing style, naming conventions, and formatting of the surrounding code
Surface assumptions	Before changing a block, identify what imports it, what it imports, and what tests cover it. Edit dependents in the same pass