From N*M to N+M: A Zero-Dependency LLM Provider Layer

There are only 3 LLM API protocols, but unlimited providers running the same protocol. Separate protocol from identity — protocol is code, provider is data — and complexity drops from N×M to N+M. 300 lines of TypeScript. Zero dependencies.

The problem isn't "it doesn't work." It's "it won't tell you it broke."

In May, I built a Claude Code skill called unblind. I use DeepSeek as my daily driver, but it can't see images. So unblind forwards images to Mimo and OpenAI's vision APIs.

The MVP had two providers. A few dozen lines of if-else. It worked.

Then I noticed something more unsettling: an expired API key — no warning. A network hiccup — no retry. A missing permission — silently skipped. This tool didn't fail. It quietly stopped working without telling you.