Iterative Code Evolution

A structured methodology for improving code through disciplined reflect → mutate → verify → score cycles, adapted from the ALMA research framework for meta-learning code designs.

When to Use This Skill

• Iterating on code that isn't working well enough (performance, correctness, design)
• Optimizing an implementation across multiple rounds of changes
• Debugging persistent or recurring issues where simple fixes keep failing
• Evolving a system design through structured experimentation
• Any task where you've already tried 2+ approaches and need discipline about what to try next
• Building or improving prompts, pipelines, agents, or any "program" that benefits from iterative refinement

When NOT to Use This Skill

• Simple one-shot code generation (just write it)
• Mechanical tasks with clear solutions (refactoring, formatting, migrations)
• When the user has already specified exactly what to change