Working in small steps

Plan before code, give each task clear acceptance criteria, keep every change small, and commit on a branch so any step can be undone.

By Erik Bergstedt, Agent Wranglers. Updated 20 October 2026.

Required

Plan before the agent writes code
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For any change beyond a few lines, have the agent read the relevant code and write a plan before it edits anything.
Give every task acceptance criteria
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State how you will know the task is done before the agent starts, as checks it can run itself.
Keep each change small
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Keep every change small enough that a person can review it properly in one sitting.
Work on a branch and commit often
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Let agents work only on a branch, and commit after each step that passes the checks.