Increase codebase efficiency: stepwise engineering improvements

[tyler-dane]

Feature Description

Comprehensive steps to improve Compass codebase efficiency, utilizing best practices from OpenAI Harness Engineering and Loop principles. This includes applying minimal, clear code structure, deeper DRY (Don't Repeat Yourself) hygiene, nest reduction, config-over-conditionals, and refactor guidelines sourced from our simplify-code skills, plus stepwise adoption of project-aware simplification.

Use Case

Increasing codebase efficiency will speed up execution, simplify maintenance, reduce bugs from duplicate or over-complicated logic, and make onboarding easier for new contributors. It streamlines product evolution and ensures our engineering efforts support high daily productivity and reliable scheduling.

Additional Context

References:

• OpenAI Harness Engineering (principles for efficient engineering)
• Loop: Build less, ship faster

Development Standards (see .claude/skills/simplify-code/ and .codex/skills/simplify-code in repo):

• Minimal surface area for changes
• Extraction of literal duplication into shared functions
• Parameterization of similar structures
• Prefer guard clauses, early returns, and shallow nesting
• Use config-driven handlers over multi-branch conditionals
• Composing hooks and helpers instead of repeated logic

Step-by-step Tasks:

1. Audit for duplicate logic in key areas (web/src, backend/src, core/src) and consolidate similar code following DRY detection rules.
2. Refactor deep-nested branches into guard clauses or early returns where possible.
3. Where multiple similar conditionals exist, switch to config-object handler patterns.
4. Move single-use helpers inline to reduce unnecessary abstraction.
5. Review all shared utilities for opportunities to narrow contracts and remove unused generalizations.
6. Run all relevant tests after efficiency-related refactors.
7. Reference .codex and .claude simplify-code guides before making changes; ensure adherence to Compass calendar dev rules.

Use semantic commit messages (see AGENTS.md):

• Use refactor(core): ..., enhance(web): ... etc. for related changes.