How to Make Claude Code Actually Follow Your Rules: The 100-Line CLAUDE.md That Works

I had a problem. My CLAUDE.md file was 300+ lines of verbose documentation that Claude Code routinely ignored. Sound familiar? After researching what actually works in the community, I discovered the brutal truth: Claude Code doesn’t read novels. It needs bullet points and shortcuts. Here’s how I cut my documentation by 66% while making it infinitely more effective. The Problem: Verbose Documentation Gets Ignored My original CLAUDE.md looked like this: ...

June 15, 2025 · Tolic Kukul

Prompt Engineering Yourself: Mental Reframing for Anxiety and Growth

We talk a lot about prompt engineering for AI, but what about prompt engineering ourselves? Our minds are constantly running on internal narratives — stories we tell ourselves about who we are, what we’re responsible for, and how the world works. What if we could rewrite these prompts? The Problem: Anxiety’s Feedback Loop Anxiety isn’t just a feeling — it’s a self-reinforcing system. We feel anxious, which changes our behavior, which creates situations that justify our anxiety, which makes us more anxious. ...

July 15, 2024 · Tolic Kukul

Engineering with ADHD: Risk Management and Detail-Oriented Work

Practical strategies for software engineers with inattentive ADHD to manage risk, avoid missing critical details, and excel in detail-oriented work.

January 8, 2023 · Tolic Kukul

TODO Lists: The Neurodivergent Engineer's Secret Superpower

I have a confession: I am absolutely, unabashedly in love with TODO lists. Not just fond of them, not just dependent on them — I’m talking about a deep, passionate love affair that has lasted my entire career. And as a neurodivergent engineer with ADHD, this isn’t just a quirky productivity habit. It’s my secret superpower. The ADHD Brain and External Memory Most neurotypical people use TODO lists as reminders. For neurodivergent minds, they’re something far more powerful: an external memory system that compensates for our unique cognitive patterns. ...

November 15, 2022 · Tolic Kukul