The most expensive line of code is the one that only its author understands. It works today, but tomorrow it becomes a support ticket, a migration risk, and a reason to avoid the file.

Optimize for the next reader

Write for the person who will open the file at 2 a.m. with no context. Clear names, small functions, and obvious control flow are not glamorous, but they are kind.

Cleverness has a cost

Abstractions are useful when they remove repetition. They become harmful when they hide the actual behavior of the system. If you need a diagram to explain a helper function, the helper is probably too clever.

Simple systems are easier to test, easier to replace, and easier to teach. That is a feature.