1
JSON Extraction as Foundation
Core LLM superpower: converting natural language to structured data. The ability to take a string and turn it into JSON.
Production quality requires hand-crafted prompts, not abstractions. Own your prompts to tweak token order and system/user roles as models change.
3
Manage Context Windows Explicitly
Don't blindly append; actively manage what the LLM sees. Own the context window, squeezing traces and error summaries for self-healing.
4
Tools Are Just JSON and Code
Demystify "tool use" as simple routing. Treat tools as structured JSON outputs validated through switch statements.
Agents = prompt + switch + context + loop. Keep control-flow in code with explicit OODA loops and convergence heuristics.
Enable pause/resume and horizontal scaling. Persist execution state for idempotent restarts.
7
Separate Business from Execution State
Different lifecycles, different needs. Expose launch/pause/resume endpoints for safe replay runs.
8
Contact Humans as First-Class Operations
Not an edge case, but core functionality. Route high-stakes steps to humans as first-class tool calls.
9
Meet Users Where They Are
Email, Slack, Discord — multi-channel by design. Trigger agents from wherever users already work.
10
Small, Focused Agents Beat Monoliths
3-10 steps max for reliability. Build small, single-purpose agents instead of chatty monoliths.
11
Explicit Error Handling
Process errors intelligently, not blindly. Compact errors into the next prompt to close the feedback loop.
Engineer reliability where models almost succeed. Find what's at the boundary of model capability and make it reliable.