30 MINUTES · ENGINEERING DECISIONS
AIR Patterns
Concepts tell you what something is. Patterns tell you when to use it, how it fails, and which invariant must remain true.
Reconcile Before Retry
Observe the external system before repeating an ambiguous side effect.
04 · Side effects patternEvidence-Carrying Claim
Attach inspectable evidence to every material agent assertion.
11 · Evaluation patternBounded Agent Loop
Give every loop explicit step, time, and cost limits.
12 · Deep agents patternDurable Human Wait
Persist state before pausing for an asynchronous human decision.
07 · Human control patternContext Quarantine
Keep untrusted context isolated until it is inspected and promoted.
08 · Context patternArtifact Handoff
Pass durable artifacts, not hidden conversational state, between actors.
08 · Context patternVerify Then Act
Check authority, preconditions, and evidence before an irreversible action.
10 · Security patternState Outside the Model
Keep authoritative workflow state in a durable system of record.
02 · State patternBudget Envelope
Bound cost, time, tokens, and tool calls for every run.
12 · Deep agents patternLease and Recover
Use expiring claims and fencing to safely reclaim abandoned work.
05 · Work ownership