File locations alone cannot guide good decisions
Theo says an instruction file that merely lists locations in the codebase is a poor guide. He wants those files to direct the agent toward successful work rather than particular lines of code. The distinction is between supplying an inventory and supplying the judgment needed to make appropriate changes.
Write decision guidance beyond listing file locations
Replace directory-listing entries with guidance about conventions, invariants, uncertainty, and the checks needed to verify the work. Let the agent locate files itself while you use the instruction space for project judgment. Keep any brief orientation that genuinely helps without letting the file become only a map.
Revise instructions dominated by directory lists
Use this when reviewing an existing instruction file that reads mainly like a list of directories. The practical question is whether it explains decisions and verification or mostly repeats where code lives. A short orientation within otherwise useful guidance is not the inventory-only problem the tip asks you to repair.
Brief file location guidance can still help
Treat Theo's advice as a heuristic, leaving room for a brief orientation line when it genuinely helps. The target is a file dominated by maps, rather than a prohibition on mentioning any location. Apply the idea when file inventory crowds out the behavioral guidance an agent needs for successful work.