🧪Lesson 01AI Engineer Loopcraft Workshop 2026

Tour the repo and set the course

Use Pi plus grill-with-docs to write VISION.md: what the local issue checker should do, which files it may edit, and when it must stop.

Start by writing the rules for a local issue checker. It should say what the checker will do, which files it may edit, what needs approval, and the exact point where it must stop. No issue events, checks, UI work, or product edits yet.

Your next move

You already have

A mostly blank project with repo instructions, lesson notes, local TA skills, and a Lakebed shell.
No issue data, check command, UI implementation, dispatch, or background worker yet.

Add now

A VISION.md that says what the local issue checker should do, which files it may edit, what needs approval, what is out of scope, and when it must stop.
A short AGENTS.md or README.md rule only if it helps the next agent open this repo cold.

Stop before

Creating event files, check commands, Lakebed code, dispatch, product code, schedulers, or external tracker setup.
Letting the agent compress your answers into vague “build a system” language.

Tiny VISION.md shape

Goal: build a local issue checker that reads local issue events and reports the next safe move.
Allowed files: docs, local event fixtures, check scripts, receipts.
Needs approval: product-file edits, external writes, live services.
Will not do yet: GitHub writes, schedulers, background workers, model calls.
Stop when: input is missing, approval is needed, checks fail, or ownership is unclear.

Starter prompt

Use grill-with-docs to help me define a small local issue checker before we write code.

Read README.md, AGENTS.md, WORKSHOP_RIG.md, lessons/, agents/skills/loopcraft-ta, agents/skills/grill-with-docs, and surface/lakebed.

Ask one question at a time. Capture what the checker should do, which files it may edit, what needs approval, what is out of scope, and when it must stop. Write the answers into VISION.md. Update AGENTS.md or README.md only if we agree on a clear repo rule. Do not create issue events, checks, UI code, background workers, external tracker setup, or product code yet. End by reporting the VISION.md sections changed and confirming no event, check, UI, or product files were created.

Build checklist

0/3 done

Read the starting files

Read README.md, AGENTS.md, WORKSHOP_RIG.md, lessons/, agents/skills/loopcraft-ta, agents/skills/grill-with-docs, and surface/lakebed.

Write the issue checker rules

Ask one question at a time, then write the agreed goal, allowed files, approval points, non-goals, and stop rules into VISION.md.

Stop before product work

Only update AGENTS.md or README.md for a real repo rule. Leave event files, checks, UI code, and product edits for later lessons.

Proof to save

Save proof that you wrote the rule file and stopped before code.

VISION.md names the local issue checker goal, allowed files, approval points, non-goals, and stop rules.
AGENTS.md or README.md changes are durable repo rules or commands, not lesson notes.
The repo still has no issue events, check command, product code, external tracker setup, or background worker.

file: VISION.md
commands: none required beyond inspection
output: goal, allowed files, approval points, non-goals, and stop rules are written down
stop condition: no event files, checks, UI work, or product edits were created
receipt: this committed or saved VISION.md change

Done when

VISION.md can answer what the issue checker does, which files it may edit, what needs approval, and what waits for Lesson 02.

Why it matters

Risk reduced: the first agent pass gets clear file boundaries before it edits.
Temptation avoided: jumping into product code before stop rules exist.
Do not automate yet: issue events, check commands, UI work, tracker writes, and background work.

Try this 🔨

Read one VISION.md sentence and classify it as goal, allowed file, approval point, non-goal, or stop rule.

Exploration prompts

Use these when you want to ask an agent for a narrower pass instead of handing it the whole lesson.

Clarify boundaries

Read VISION.md, README.md, AGENTS.md, and WORKSHOP_RIG.md. List the local issue checker goal, allowed files, approval points, non-goals, and stop rules. If any are missing, ask me one question before suggesting edits.

Find stop rules

Scan the repo instructions and lesson notes. Name every point where the issue checker should stop instead of guessing. Return a short stop-rule list with the file each rule belongs in.

Check for early scope

Inspect the repo for issue events, check commands, UI changes, external tracker setup, or product code that should wait until later lessons. Report anything that looks too early and why.