Patterns That Work

🔄

Give the agent a feedback loop

Don't just say "fix it." Let it run the build, see the error, try again. Agents learn from iteration, not from your first prompt being perfect.

📋

Write a skill file for repeated tasks

If you explain something to the agent more than twice, put it in a markdown file. AGENTS.md or skills/my-workflow/SKILL.md. Now every agent on your team knows it.

🎯

Start small, then expand

"Fix this specific test" works. "Refactor the whole module" doesn't. Scope your asks like you'd scope a work item. One clear outcome per task.

🛠️

Give it your existing tools

Agents can use git, az, gh, dotnet, cargo already. You don't need new tools. Just let the agent run what you'd run.

👀

Trust but verify

Review the agent's output like you'd review a junior's PR. Don't blindly accept. Don't micromanage either. Find the middle.