Sharp tools beat Swiss Army knives -- MCP design patterns

Why this matters: Sharp tools beat Swiss Army knives.

Sharp tools beat Swiss Army knives.

After building 18 MCP tools for the WC26 server, I learned: one great tool > five mediocre ones.

Design principles:

  • Narrow scope, clear inputs
  • Deterministic outputs
  • Explicit error states
  • No hidden state

LLMs use specific tools more reliably than catch-all tools. The MCP spec rewards specialists.

Build the scalpel, not the multi-tool.