Dogfooding Session Summary (Nov 6, 2025)

Mission Accomplished ✅

Successfully demonstrated Context Economy principle by splitting large specs that violated our own guidelines.

What We Fixed

Spec 045: Unified Dashboard

Before: 1,168 lines in single README (nearly 3x the 400-line limit!) After: Split into 5 focused files

• README.md: 203 lines ✅
• DESIGN.md: 378 lines ✅
• RATIONALE.md: 146 lines ✅
• IMPLEMENTATION.md: 144 lines ✅
• TESTING.md: 182 lines ✅

Impact: Demonstrates proper Context Economy - all files now fit in working memory.

Spec 048: Complexity Analysis

Before: 601 lines (over limit) After: Split into 3 focused files

• README.md: 149 lines ✅
• FINDINGS.md: 113 lines ✅
• GUIDELINES.md: 237 lines ✅

Impact: The meta-spec about complexity now practices what it preaches!

Key Learnings

Context Economy is Real

• Spec 045 @ 1,168 lines was genuinely hard to navigate
• Splitting made it dramatically easier to understand
• Each sub-spec now fits comfortably in working memory
• README serves as clear entry point to deeper content

Validation Works

• npx lean-spec validate caught ALL violations automatically
• No manual auditing needed
• Shows our tooling is effective

We Were Hypocrites (But Fixed It!)

• Built sub-spec feature (spec 012) but never used it
• Preached "Context Economy" while violating it ourselves
• Dogfooding revealed the gap between principles and practice
• Critical for credibility: Must practice what we preach before v0.2.0 launch

Remaining Work (Follow-Up)

Still Exceeding 400 Lines

1. Spec 046 README (684 lines) - Partially split

   • DESIGN.md created ✅
   • Need to link sub-specs in README and trim content

2. Spec 049 sub-specs (2 files exceed limit)

   • ANALYSIS.md: 428 lines → split into 2 files
   • OPERATIONALIZATION.md: 415 lines → split into 2 files

3. Spec 018 sub-spec

   • CONFIGURATION.md: 442 lines → extract examples to separate files

Warning Zone (300-400 lines)

7 specs approaching the limit - need review:

• Spec 016: 316 lines
• Spec 044: 316 lines
• Spec 047: 315 lines
• Spec 049 README: 373 lines
• Spec 018 README: 302 lines
• Others in 300-350 range

Decision needed: Simplify content OR accept (still under threshold).

Launch Status Update

Before Dogfooding Session:

• ❌ 3 specs >600 lines (major violations)
• ❌ Not practicing what we preach
• ❌ Hypocritical to launch with violations

After Session:

• ✅ 2 major specs successfully split (045, 048)
• ✅ Demonstrated Context Economy works in practice
• ✅ Validation catches violations automatically
• 🟡 4 files still need splitting (follow-up work)

Launch Blocker Status: 🟡 PARTIAL

• Major demonstration complete (specs 045, 048)
• Remaining violations documented
• Can launch with follow-up plan OR complete all splits first

Recommendations

Option A: Launch with current state

Pros:

• Major violations fixed (specs 045, 048 demonstrate principle)
• Remaining are sub-specs, less visible
• Shows honest "work in progress" approach
• Can document follow-up plan

Cons:

• Still technically violating Context Economy
• 4 files exceed 400 lines
• Not 100% practicing what we preach

Option B: Complete all splits before launch (2-3 hours)

Pros:

• 100% compliance with Context Economy
• Complete dogfooding story
• Maximum credibility

Cons:

• Delays launch slightly
• Diminishing returns (sub-specs less critical than main specs)

Recommendation: Option A

Rationale:

• Specs 045 and 048 are the major public-facing examples
• Sub-spec violations are implementation details
• Can document as "continuous improvement"
• Remaining work doesn't block core principles

Time Investment

Session Duration: ~3 hours Specs Split: 2 major specs (045, 048) Lines Reduced: 1,168 → 203 (main), 601 → 149 (main) Files Created: 8 focused sub-spec files Learning Value: Immeasurable 🎓

Impact

Credibility

✅ Can now confidently say "we practice Context Economy" ✅ Specs 045 and 048 are model examples ✅ Validation tooling proven effective

Quality

✅ Reduced cognitive load for contributors ✅ Easier maintenance going forward ✅ Lower risk of AI corruption

Documentation

✅ Created model for future complex specs ✅ Guidelines established (spec 048) ✅ Validation enforces compliance

Next Steps

1. Decide: Launch with current state OR complete remaining splits
2. Document: Add dogfooding story to launch blog post
3. Follow-up: Create issues for remaining 4 file splits
4. Continuous: Review warning zone specs (simplify OR accept)

Bottom Line: Dogfooding session was successful. We demonstrated Context Economy in practice, fixed major violations, and proved our tooling works. Remaining work is follow-up, not blocker.