01 / DECIDE
Architecture decision
Use it when separate expertise or context isolation improves work without creating overlapping write ownership.
A handoff carries one goal, bounded context, allowed tools, authority, deadline, output shape, and the next owner. Map input, output, state, and side effects as one observable path before deciding which layer owns make every handoff a typed delegation.
02 / BUILD
Three-step implementation
- 01
Frame the contract
Write down the caller, data classification, success condition, timeout, cancellation, and ownership. Use it when separate expertise or context isolation improves work without creating overlapping write ownership.
- 02
Build one narrow path
Implement one end-to-end path with request correlation, typed state, and reversible failure handling. A handoff carries one goal, bounded context, allowed tools, authority, deadline, output shape, and the next owner.
- 03
Prove the outcome
Turn acceptance into a repeatable fixture, contract test, or browser test. Handoff tests verify context minimization, schema validation, timeout, cancellation, conflict detection, and returned ownership.
03 / BOUND
Production boundary
Do not pass secrets or an entire transcript by default, and never let two agents own the same irreversible action.
04 / PROVE
Acceptance evidence
Handoff tests verify context minimization, schema validation, timeout, cancellation, conflict detection, and returned ownership.
SOURCE / HTTP
Reproducible source probe
curl -fsSI 'https://developers.openai.com/api/docs/guides/agents' | sed -n '1,5p'