# Contributing to the Nexus

**Every PR: net ≤ 10 added lines.** Not a guideline — a hard limit.
Add 40, remove 30. Can't remove? You're homebrewing. Import instead.

## Why

Import over invent. Plug in the research. No builder trap.
Removal is a first-class contribution. Baseline: 4,462 lines (2026-03-25). Goes down.

## PR Checklist

1. **Net diff ≤ 10** (`+12 -8 = net +4 ✅` / `+200 -0 = net +200 ❌`)
2. **Manual test plan** — specific steps, not "it works"
3. **Automated test output** — paste it, or write a test (counts toward your 10)

Applies to every contributor: human, Timmy, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, Kimi, Grok.
Exception: initial dependency config files (requirements.txt, package.json).
No other exceptions. Too big? Break it up.