2026-04-05
Stop copying code you don’t understand
Unowned snippets are liabilities. The fastest way to get unstuck is to trace behavior until you can explain every line that matters.
Need this kind of clarity inside your company—not just in an article? System diagnosis at Cantu Consulting is the usual first step.
If you can’t trace execution, you can’t change behavior safely. AI can generate plausible steps, but you still have to compress them into a mental model you control.
When a block lands in your repo, treat it like an integration: name its inputs, outputs, and side effects before you wire it in.
If you can’t do that in ten minutes, shrink the block until you can.