How to get started, in five rehearsals.
The order matters. Every step earns the next one — skipping ahead is how you end up with a confident loop and no way to trust it.
Play it by hand first
Do the task manually. Learn every decision point, verification signal, and failure mode before you automate any of them.
Write the score
Codify the process into a skill — a SKILL.md or equivalent. Externalize intent, conventions, and the moves you'd otherwise re-explain every time.
Add verification & state
Define objective "done" signals: tests, metrics, golden files. Add durable memory so iteration two knows what iteration one learned.
Wrap with trigger & guardrails
A schedule, webhook, or event starts the loop. Iteration caps, budget limits, and circuit breakers make sure it also stops.
Listen back, then improve the loop
Read the traces. Fix the loop itself, not just its output. Successful patterns graduate into your standard repertoire.