Idea
Build a small middleware pattern for adding experiments, banners, overlays, or seasonal nonsense without turning the main codebase into a bin fire.
Status
We landed a rough but convincing pattern and immediately thought of too many uses for it.
Problems Faced
- The agent kept generating “flexible” middleware that was really just global state with better branding.
- Naming the responsibilities took longer than writing the code.
Techniques That Helped
- Enforce narrow hooks and explicit exit points.
- Write the removal path before the feature path.
Lessons Learned
Temporary features are safest when the architecture assumes they will be deleted.