A system is more than its implementation. Its identity is the purpose, boundaries, and promises that should continue to guide it.
Software should know what it is.
Code is the implementation. Identity is the reason. A system deserves a living account of what it promises, what it protects, and how it changes.
Every abstraction and dependency carries a cost. Keep the reasons for accepting that cost visible.
A healthy system can explain enough of itself that each new contributor does not have to rediscover its foundations.
Knowledge should change with the system, preserve its history, and stay useful to the people doing the work.
Make boundaries and failure assumptions explicit so a system can change without losing what makes it dependable.
Tools should support human judgment and accountability, not hide decisions behind automation.