Principlev1
Explain established systems to newcomers not as onboarding
Explain established systems to newcomers not as onboarding but as defamiliarization practice—articulating what you automate exposes hidden assumptions.
Why This Is a Principle
Derives from Illusion of Explanatory Depth (self-assessment unreliable until forced to articulate), Externalization Exposes Hidden Structure (externalization exposes gaps), and Expertise as Domain-Specific Schema Organization (expertise is domain-specific schemas). The principle makes code walkthroughs with new hires into a deliberate epistemic practice, not just knowledge transfer.