When to branch

[placeholder] Body content for this entry will be written by the copy chat. The entry covers when branching is the right move and when it's overhead. The heuristic for spotting a real fork versus a false one.

The signal for a useful branch is real uncertainty: two approaches that each have plausible upsides and downsides, and the team isn't ready to pick. Plant both as parallel branches and let the comparison live on the graph rather than in someone's head.

The signal for not branching: when one approach is obviously better and the alternative is being kept around for politeness or completeness. That's a branch that won't get pruned; it's just clutter.