Mechanism: Escalation — When to Switch Model, Mode, or Human
Escalation is a planned step-up when the current approach stalls — switch model, mode, human reviewer, narrower slice, or different…
Mechanism: Interface-First — Types and API Before Implementation
Interface-first means defining the contract — types, function signatures, route schemas, or module API — before the agent implements internals,…
Mechanism: Vertical Slice — One Thin End-to-End Pass
A vertical slice is a single session that ships one path through the stack — request to response, UI to…
Mechanism: Example-Driven Spec — Behavior as Input/Output Pairs
An example-driven spec defines behavior through concrete input/output pairs (and edge cases) before implementation — so the agent builds toward…
Mechanism: Acceptance Criteria — Testable Done Beyond the Goal
Acceptance criteria are specific, checkable conditions that must all pass for work to count as done — turning a (/mechanism-goal/)…
Mechanism: Split & Conquer — One Session, One Job
Split & conquer is planning work so each agent session has a single shippable job — with its own (/mechanism-goal/),…
Mechanism: Negative Space — Say What Not to Touch
Negative space is the practice of naming what must stay unchanged — files, behaviors, APIs, and styles — so the…
Mechanism: Rollback — Undo Before the Agent Goes Too Far
Rollback is having a known-good restore point — commit, stash, branch tip, or snapshot — before agent edits land, so…
Mechanism: Checkpoint — Review Before You Merge
A checkpoint is a mandatory pause — human or automated — between agent output and merge, where you review the…
Mechanism: Context Budget — Spend Tokens on What Matters
A context budget is a deliberate limit on what you load into the model's window — files, history, rules, and…