Zero Tech Debt
Rebuild a feature as if the correct product architecture existed from day one. Removes compatibility cruft, dead abstractions, and historical compromises instead of preserving them. Methodology-only — no destructive actions without operator approval.
- Type
- Plugin
- Repository
- jeremylongshore/tons-of-skills-marketplace
- GitHub stars
- 2.8k
- License
- MIT
- Repo last updated
- Sep 27, 2026
- Version
- 1.1.0
- Author
- Jeremy Longshore
What Zero Tech Debt is
Zero Tech Debt is a plugin published in the jeremylongshore/tons-of-skills-marketplace repository on GitHub, which has about 2.8k stars. The repository describes itself as: “Model-agnostic agent-skills platform with a harness-free canonical layer, verified adapters, and the ccpi package manager. Explore at tonsofskills.com.”
A plugin is a package that bundles skills, slash commands, subagents, hooks, and MCP connectors so they install together. Plugins are plain files with a manifest at .claude-plugin/plugin.json, and they work in both Claude Code and Claude Cowork.
Installing Zero Tech Debt adds everything it ships in one step. Connectors inside a plugin still need to be connected separately, and hooks and subagents only run in Cowork and Claude Code, not in regular chat.
How to install Zero Tech Debt
Claude Code
- Add the repository as a plugin marketplace: claude plugin marketplace add jeremylongshore/tons-of-skills-marketplace
- Install the plugin: claude plugin install zero-tech-debt@<marketplace-name>, using the marketplace name from the repository's .claude-plugin/marketplace.json.
- Restart the session if the new skills or commands don't appear straight away.
Claude Cowork
- Open Customize → Plugins and choose Add marketplace.
- Enter jeremylongshore/tons-of-skills-marketplace (the owner/repo shorthand works for GitHub).
- Find Zero Tech Debt in the list, click Install, then connect any connectors it needs from its Connectors tab.
New to extending Cowork? Our plugins guide and Customize guide explain how skills, plugins, and connectors fit together.
Inside the source file
An excerpt from plugins/skill-enhancers/zero-tech-debt/.claude-plugin/plugin.json, shared under the repository's MIT license. Read the full file on GitHub.
> Build toward the intended product shape — not the historical sequence of patches.
A methodology skill for Claude Code that guides structural refactors: rebuild the feature as if the correct architecture existed from day one. Removes compatibility cruft, dead abstractions, and historical compromises instead of preserving them.
When to invoke
Strong signals from the operator:
- "refactor properly" / "clean up" / "rewrite" / "modernize"
- "remove legacy" / "simplify" / "rethink" / "pay down tech debt"
- Frustration with accumulated complexity
- Multiple parallel implementations for the same logical operation
- New features keep routing around old scaffolding instead of through it
When NOT to invoke
- Production hotfixes (minimize diff, preserve blast radius)
- Security backports (preserve audit clarity)
- Time-boxed patches before a release cut
- Code owned by another team without prior coordination
- Anywhere the cost of being wrong exceeds the cost of staying messy
How it loads (progressive disclosure)
The main SKILL.md is short. The deep methodology lives in references/:
Claude reads SKILL.md first, then pulls the references it needs as the work unfolds. You don't have to read them all up front.
Scope discipline
A zero-tech-debt refactor will tempt unbounded scope. The skill explicitly:
- Holds to one coherent end state per refactor — not three loosely related ones
- Stops and documents deeper rot rather than chaining refactors mid-flight
- Refuses "while I'm here" additions unrelated to the deletion path
- Splits oversized work along ownership boundaries, never along file counts
If the operator wants a hotfix, this skill is the wrong tool — recommend a targeted patch instead.
License
MIT
Before you install
- Read the whole file first. Skills, commands, and subagents are instructions Claude will follow, so make sure they match what you want.
- Check which tools, scripts, or MCP servers it uses. Local servers and scripts run with your permissions.
- Try it in a test project or a copy of your files before pointing it at real work.
- Pin the version you tested, and review changes before updating.
- Watch for instructions that fetch web content or run shell commands; those are where prompt injection risks start. See our prompt injection guide.
FAQ
What is Zero Tech Debt?
Zero Tech Debt is a plugin for Claude Code and Claude Cowork from the jeremylongshore/tons-of-skills-marketplace repository on GitHub. Rebuild a feature as if the correct product architecture existed from day one. Removes compatibility cruft, dead abstractions, and historical compromises instead of preserving them. Methodology-only — no destructive actions without operator approval.
How do I install Zero Tech Debt in Claude Code?
Add the repository as a plugin marketplace: claude plugin marketplace add jeremylongshore/tons-of-skills-marketplace Install the plugin: claude plugin install zero-tech-debt@<marketplace-name>, using the marketplace name from the repository's .claude-plugin/marketplace.json. Restart the session if the new skills or commands don't appear straight away.
Can I use Zero Tech Debt in Claude Cowork?
Open Customize → Plugins and choose Add marketplace. Enter jeremylongshore/tons-of-skills-marketplace (the owner/repo shorthand works for GitHub). Find Zero Tech Debt in the list, click Install, then connect any connectors it needs from its Connectors tab.
Is Zero Tech Debt safe to install?
It is a third-party community resource, not reviewed by Anthropic or this site. Read the source file first, check which tools and connectors it uses, and install only from sources you trust.
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