Frequently asked questions about thinking, epistemology, and cognitive tools. 1647 answers
Some agents must run in a specific order — define the sequence explicitly.
Some agents must run in a specific order — define the sequence explicitly.
Some agents must run in a specific order — define the sequence explicitly.
Identify a recurring multi-step cognitive process in your life — your weekly review, your project kickoff routine, your content creation workflow, your decision-making process for purchases over $500. List every distinct evaluation or judgment you make during that process. These are your agents..
Assuming the correct sequence is obvious and therefore does not need to be made explicit. This is the most common failure. You 'know' that you should assess your energy before scheduling deep work, but because the sequence lives only in intuition, you skip it on busy days, invert it when stressed,.
Some agents must run in a specific order — define the sequence explicitly.
Some agents can run simultaneously while others must wait for previous results.
Some agents can run simultaneously while others must wait for previous results.
Some agents can run simultaneously while others must wait for previous results.
Some agents can run simultaneously while others must wait for previous results.
Pick a complex project you are currently working on or planning — a product launch, a career transition, a home renovation, a research paper. List every task involved. For each task, answer one question: 'Does this task require the output of another task before it can begin?' Draw arrows from each.
Defaulting to one mode for everything. Sequential thinkers line up every task in a single queue, creating artificial bottlenecks where none need to exist — they will not start the insurance research until the neighborhood research is 'done,' even though the two are completely independent. Parallel.
Some agents can run simultaneously while others must wait for previous results.
When agents need to share information define clearly how that information flows.
When agents need to share information define clearly how that information flows.
When agents need to share information define clearly how that information flows.
When agents need to share information define clearly how that information flows.
Identify two or three agents — cognitive routines, tools, or processes — that you run regularly and that should inform each other but currently do not. Write down what each agent produces as output and what each agent would need as input to perform better. Then design a shared state artifact: a.
Assuming shared state means every agent sees everything. Unrestricted shared state creates noise, not coordination. When every agent dumps its full output into a common pool, agents drown in irrelevant information and slow down. The failure is conflating access with design. Effective shared state.
When agents need to share information define clearly how that information flows.
Define how the output of one agent becomes the input of another.
Define how the output of one agent becomes the input of another.
Define how the output of one agent becomes the input of another.
Define how the output of one agent becomes the input of another.