• User-level CLAUDE.md isn't shared via git — that single fact explains most "works for me, not for my teammate" scenarios.
  • context: fork is the highest-leverage Skill field: isolate verbose skill output rather than compacting more often or shortening instructions.
  • Path rules (glob frontmatter) fit conventions that follow a file type across directories; directory-level CLAUDE.md fits conventions confined to one subtree.
  • Plan mode vs. direct execution turns on complexity and reversibility — and the combined "plan then execute" pattern is normal, not an either/or.
  • Show, don't describe, for inconsistent output; ask whether problems interact before deciding to batch or sequence fixes.
  • A hanging CI pipeline is almost always the missing -p; CLAUDE.md is how project testing standards actually reach CI-generated tests.