Claude Code's Efficiency Turn: From Complex Scaffolding to Streamlined AI Workflows

As Claude's capabilities improved and token consumption became a concern, developers shifted from rigid, ceremony-heavy workflows with /scratchpad to leaner /note-based processes. This reflects a maturing approach to AI-assisted development: when LLMs prove capable of self-organization and parallel reasoning, simpler scaffolding and less redundancy actually accelerate progress while reducing costs.