Assumptions, stated
Write down what must be true for your approach to work: data freshness, model latency, budget limits. This anchors debate and avoids hidden constraints.
Bound the risk
Contain blast radius. Start with low-stakes tasks, guardrails, and human review. Expand as evidence accumulates.
Iterate in tight loops
Weekly changes beat quarterly “big bangs.” Ship small improvements, measure, and keep a changelog.
Examples
- Email triage: add stricter acceptance criteria before chasing new prompts.
- Support bot: start with FAQ-only scope, then add tool use after stability.
Checklist
- Task, constraints, and metrics written down
- Baseline and ablations planned
- Guardrails in place
- Weekly review: errors and next step