Context debt comes before code debt.

A useful trick for AI refactors: Don’t ask the agent to refactor first.Ask: “What makes the ideal refactor impossible in this codebase today?” That question changes everything. The agent stops optimizing inside the current mess and starts identifying the missing substrate: tests boundaries contracts types docs invariants validation loops repo instructions Fix the substrate first.Then refactor. Context debt comes before code debt. Prompt I use before major AI refactors: “Do not refactor yet. First, audit thi