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necessary-work

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Use when work is about to grow past the ask, the task may already be done, or the user requests only the minimum. Not for executing the work: use tdd to build or strike-the-root to fix.

.devin/skills/necessary-work/SKILL.md

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Sep 28, 2026
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# Necessary work

## Contract

| Field | Bound contract |
|---|---|
| Trigger | Work is about to grow past the ask, the task may already be done, or the user requests the minimum, only what is needed, or a stop once it works. |
| Authority | Read-only. No file, VCS, credential, paid, published, deployed, or remote mutation. Reads and assesses request, environment, policy, and evidence only. |
| Side effect | Narrow the scope of work by classification only; produce no operational side effect. |
| Done | The contract is written before work, every admitted action fails the delete test, and classification stops once the minimum proof is identified. |

## Inputs

Supply the request and the available evidence of its current state. Include any binding environmental limits or authoritative policies that constrain the outcome. Existing measurements are optional; do not create measurements unless the delete test establishes that they are necessary. If the request is ambiguous and the available inputs cannot resolve it, use the smallest interpretation consistent with the stated intent and record that interpretation.