Frequently asked questions about thinking, epistemology, and cognitive tools. 1287 answers
An agent that acts fast but wrong is worse than one that acts slowly but right.
The most powerful optimization is often subtraction — removing steps that add cost without adding value.
Dedicate focused time blocks to optimizing specific agents rather than trying to optimize everything continuously.
Without a clear trigger an agent never activates no matter how well designed.
Alarms, notifications, and calendar events as systematic trigger mechanisms.
When two agents each wait for the other neither can proceed — design to prevent this.
When two agents each wait for the other neither can proceed — design to prevent this.
Vague delegation produces vague results. Specify the outcome, constraints, and success criteria before handing anything off.
Delegation is a skill you build over time — each successful delegation increases your capacity for the next one.
Delegation is a skill you build over time — each successful delegation increases your capacity for the next one.
For most decisions good enough is better than perfect because the search cost exceeds the improvement.
Choose the option you would least regret in five years.
When a beneficial loop exists invest in making it stronger and faster.
Effectiveness means your agent produces the intended outcome, not just that it runs.
Effectiveness means your agent produces the intended outcome, not just that it runs.
When retiring an agent ensure its responsibilities transfer to a new agent or are consciously dropped.
Reviewing key conditions before starting a task catches errors before they propagate.
Reviewing key conditions before starting a task catches errors before they propagate.
Delegating too much creates disconnection from the work that matters and atrophies critical skills.
The faster you get feedback on an action the faster you can adjust.
Asking why five times in succession usually reaches the root cause of a problem.
Asking why five times in succession usually reaches the root cause of a problem.
Too many agents create coordination overhead that can exceed their collective value.
Run through scenarios mentally or in low-stakes situations before relying on a new agent.