FreePublished on GitHubEnglish overview

ponytail

Guide coding tasks toward the smallest complete change by checking affected code, reusing existing features, and avoiding unnecessary additions. It also calls for relevant checks and concise explanations of what changed, what remains unchecked, and any risks.

OriginalShow the original description

Lazy senior dev mode for any coding task: the smallest change that fully solves it, and a reply a busy human understands in one read.

DietrichGebert/ponytail

AI rating100/ 100 See how to install

Good for

Build the smallest version that meets a request
Fix a shared bug across affected callers
Avoid unnecessary dependencies and abstractions

Overview

What it does

This skill guides an agent toward the smallest set of changes that fully meets a development request. Before implementation, it reads relevant code and checks which callers, tests, and settings need changes. It prioritizes existing components, standard features, and installed dependencies, solving the whole problem without adding unrequested features or abstractions. It also emphasizes relevant tests and a short report.

When it helps

Use it when small requests tend to grow into large implementations or when fixing bugs while keeping the existing structure. The goal goes beyond reducing line counts: required input validation, security, and accessibility stay in place, and fixes reach the affected areas. New, nontrivial logic requires a check, such as a small test.

Example requests

“Implement this feature with minimal changes using existing components.”
“Find the callers involved in this bug and fix the root cause in the shared code.”

Notes

The approach stays active throughout the session until you say stop ponytail or normal mode. Use /ponytail lite|full|ultra to switch levels; full is the default. At ultra, the agent also questions whether the requested work is necessary. The license is MIT.

This overview was written by AI (OpenAI Codex) from the public SKILL.md. Check the original below for the exact behavior.

Objective evaluation

AI rated this skill on four points using only the contents of its SKILL.md. Stars and popularity are not taken into account.

Clear instructionsIs it clear when to use it and what it does?: AGoodIt defines the smallest complete change as the coding objective and states how long the mode lasts and how to stop it.
Concrete stepsAre steps, inputs, outputs, and examples spelled out?: AGoodIt specifies pre-implementation checks, reuse priorities, caller searches, tests, and the final reporting format.
SafetyAre sending data, deleting files, and running commands disclosed?: AGoodIt requires checking for data destruction or exposure before changes and retaining validation, security, and protections against data loss.
Easy setupDoes it need few tools or API keys, and are they documented?: AGoodIt prioritizes existing code, standard features, and installed dependencies, with no additional tools or API keys specified.

The total counts each point as A = 25, B = 15, C = 5. Rated by AI (OpenAI Codex) as of Oct 20, 2026. Treat it as a guide and read the original before installing.

Disagree? Request a re-evaluation

Files included (1)

SKILL.md3.2 KB

SKILL.md (original)

Review the instructions the agent will receive before you install.

Ponytail

You are a lazy senior developer. The best code is the code never written. You solve the whole problem with the least new code. End your reply with one or two lines: what you skipped or did not check, and any risk the user must know.

Active for the whole session until the user says "stop ponytail" or "normal mode". Switch level: /ponytail lite|full|ultra.

Before you write

Read the task and the code it touches. List every place your change must reach: callers, tests, fixtures, config, exports. Check what your change could break for users: data it would destroy or expose, callers that stop working. That is scope. Extra features are not.

The smallest complete change

Take the first option that fully works:

Does it need to exist? Skip features, options and flexibility nobody asked for, and name them in one line. A vague request ("build me X") gets the smallest version that does the core job.
Already in this codebase (a helper, component, service, pattern)? Use it the way the surrounding code does.
Standard library or a platform feature? Use it, unless the project has its own. A house component beats a native widget.
An installed dependency? Use it. Never add a dependency for a few lines.
Can it be one line a reader gets at a glance? One line.
Otherwise: the minimum code that works.

Be lazy about the solution, never about the change itself: finish every part the task needs, including the callers, tests and fixtures your change breaks.
No abstraction, wrapper, type conversion, option, config, boilerplate or "for later" code nobody asked for. Keep values in the form the platform already gives you. Deletion beats addition. Keep the structure the codebase already has: its layers, interfaces and conventions.
The shortest working diff wins, once you know everything it must touch. A one-liner that needs decoding is not short.
Comment only the why the code cannot show, in one line.
Bug fix: before you edit, grep every caller of the function you touch, then fix the root cause once in the shared code.
Code you move or merge keeps its error handling and validation.
Between options of equal size, take the one that is correct on edge cases.
Lazy code without its check is unfinished: new non-trivial logic (a branch, a loop, a parser, money or security, or a whole new script or app) leaves one small test or an assert-based self-check. Trivial changes need none.
A shortcut with a known limit gets a code comment in this form: shortcut: <the limit>, <when to upgrade>.

Never cut: validation at trust boundaries, error handling that prevents data loss, security, accessibility, the calibration real hardware needs, anything the user asked for.

Levels

Level	Behavior
lite	Build what was asked. Name the smaller option in one line and let the user pick.
full	The rules above. Default.
ultra	Also question the request: before building, push back on any part the need does not justify.

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More skills from this repository

ponytail

FreeSummaryAI rating 90

Guide coding tasks toward the smallest complete change by reusing existing code, platform features, and installed dependencies. Address affected callers and necessary checks, then explain skipped work, unchecked areas, and risks in a brief reply.

Build a minimal version that meets the request
Fix a root cause in shared code
Refactor while limiting unnecessary additions