Broken Window

Overview

Fix warnings, errors, and standards violations immediately. Broken windows—small signs of neglect—compound into technical debt. The 2x rule: fix now unless fix time > 2x remaining work.

Violating the letter of these rules IS violating the spirit of these rules. The 2x threshold is objective and measurable—there is no "spirit vs letter" escape.

REQUIRED BACKGROUND: superpowers:verification-before-completion, superpowers:systematic-debugging

When to Use

Always triggered for:

• Warnings/errors during git, npm, build, or test operations
• Before declaring work complete
• Standards violations detected during code review
• Skills-first repos: Before starting work (validate prerequisites)

Core Workflow

1. Detect warning, error, or standards violation
2. Investigate root cause and document finding
3. Estimate fix time and remaining work time
4. Apply 2x rule: if fix time < 2x remaining work, fix immediately
5. If fix time >= 2x remaining work, create tech-debt issue with steps to replicate
6. Verify warning/error is resolved or issue is created
7. Continue with original task

The 2x Rule

digraph fix_decision {
    "Warning/Error Detected" [shape=box];
    "Estimate Fix Time" [shape=box];
    "Estimate Remaining Work" [shape=box];
    "Fix Time < 2x Remaining?" [shape=diamond];
    "Fix Immediately" [shape=box, style=filled, fillcolor=lightgreen];
    "Create Tech-Debt Issue" [shape=box, style=filled, fillcolor=yellow];

    "Warning/Error Detected" -> "Estimate Fix Time";
    "Estimate Fix Time" -> "Estimate Remaining Work";
    "Estimate Remaining Work" -> "Fix Time < 2x Remaining?";
    "Fix Time < 2x Remaining?" -> "Fix Immediately" [label="yes"];
    "Fix Time < 2x Remaining?" -> "Create Tech-Debt Issue" [label="no"];
}

Example: Remaining work = 15 minutes. Fix takes 10 minutes. Ratio = 0.67x. Fix immediately.

Required Actions

When Warning/Error Appears

1. Investigate root cause
2. Estimate fix time vs remaining work
3. If fix time < 2x → Fix immediately
4. If fix time ≥ 2x → Create tech-debt issue (label: tech-debt, include steps to replicate, fix estimate)
5. Verify warning gone or issue created

Before Declaring Complete

1. Review against repository standards (README, CONTRIBUTING, docs/)
2. Check for: tests, documentation, code patterns, linting
3. Apply 2x rule to each violation
4. Fix or create tech-debt issue for each violation
5. Then declare complete

Skills-First Repositories

Before starting implementation:

1. Check for AGENTS.md with skills-first-workflow
2. Verify superpowers installed and required skills loaded
3. Load missing skills before proceeding

Red Flags - STOP

• "It's just a warning" / "Normal behaviour" / "Can fix later"
• "No time now" (without 2x calculation)
• "User didn't ask for tests/docs"
• "Scope creep" / "Need to balance"
• "I'll set up linting/verification tools later"
• Working in repo with package.json but no node_modules

All mean: Apply 2x rule. Fix or create tech-debt issue. No ignoring.

See references/rationalizations.md for complete excuse table and brownfield strategies.

Quick-Fix Scripts

Common broken window scenarios with immediate fixes:

Quick-Fix Script Template

For projects with multiple fix commands, create scripts/fix-all.sh:

#!/usr/bin/env bash
# fix-all.sh - Fix common broken window issues
set -euo pipefail

echo "=== Restoring dependencies ==="
npm ci 2>/dev/null || dotnet restore 2>/dev/null || echo "No package manager detected"

echo "=== Fixing formatting ==="
npm run lint:fix 2>/dev/null || dotnet format 2>/dev/null || echo "No formatter configured"

echo "=== Done ==="
echo "Run 'npm run lint' or equivalent to verify all issues resolved"

Use this script to quickly address multiple broken windows before commits.