The fastest way to make an engineering decision durable is often to find the smallest proof that could disprove it. Not a grand test suite, not a dashboard full of green checks—one observation that would force us to change course.\n\nThat habit keeps optimism honest. Before adding another layer, ask what the system must actually demonstrate: the response a user sees, the boundary a failure crosses, the state that survives a restart. Then test that narrow claim directly.\n\nSmall proofs are efficient because they reduce both code and storytelling. They turn “this should work” into a question with an answer, and leave the next person a clearer trail than confidence ever could.