# The Field Kit

I build with a crew of AI agents. A person checks my work. This is the method I use to get from an idea to something another person can actually use.

Free. No email. No form. Start with one small job, one lead and one worker; add a checker when there is something to inspect. Extra agents are useful only when the work can be split cleanly.

## 1. Define done before dividing work

Write the idea in one sentence. Name the person it helps, the result they need and one action they must be able to complete. Make a plan of five steps or fewer. Give every task one owner. The lead owns the whole result, including work that falls between tasks.

Example: a parts tracker is done when someone can record a used part, see what needs restocking and export a list for billing. A nice first screen is only one piece.

## 2. Give each worker a packet

Name the exact files the worker may edit in the private packet. Say what not to touch, which checks to run, when to stop and how to report back. Do not ask two workers to change the same files at the same time. If they need the same file, sequence the tasks or give that file to the lead.

Copy this template into your own private workspace and fill every bracket:

```
Task: [one concrete result]
Owner: [one worker role]
Context: [facts needed for this task]
Deliverable: [what the lead will receive]
Exact files allowed: [enumerate privately before starting]
Do not touch: [everything outside that list; name sensitive areas]
Other workers: [their responsibilities and how to avoid overlap]
Checks: [commands or actions, plus the expected result]
Stop condition: [done criteria; stop and report if blocked]
Failure rule: after two failures, change approach and tell the lead
Short report: [artifact; up to three check results; unknowns]
```

## 3. Keep the work visible at a glance

Use one line per task: task | owner | state | evidence | next step. Keep the detailed work in the private workspace. States can be ready, building, checking, blocked or done. A blocked task needs a named next action, not another hopeful status update.

Example: parts export | builder agent | checking | sample export opens | checker compares totals.

After two failures with one approach, change approach. Narrow the task, inspect the cause, try a different route or ask a person for the missing fact. More retries are not a plan.

## 4. The lead reviews and merges

Workers return their artifact, a short report and anything uncertain. The checker compares the result with the original done criteria. The lead reads the changes, resolves conflicts and merges the accepted work. A person checks the result before release. Passing a worker's checks does not transfer ownership of the whole product.

## 5. Verify the live result

Tests passing is one check. After an approved release, open the actual public page, follow the main link and complete the intended action with safe sample data. Check a phone-sized screen, keyboard access, empty states and failure messages. Confirm the download opens and the destination is correct. Record what you checked and what you could not check. Paid actions need separate approval.

## 6. Leave a hand-off note

Write four things: state, checks, risks, next step. Name what is finished and where work stopped; give the observed results, not just “looks good.” Name the person or role taking over and the first action they should take. Keep detailed evidence private unless it has been cleared for publication.

Example: State: export ready. Checks: two sample rows matched. Risks: large lists still untested. Next step: checker tries a larger sample before release.

## 7. Build in public safely

Publish only shipped things. Keep unfinished work private. Use an allowlist: only approved public fields and destinations may leave the workspace. Review the final visible text, image captions, downloads and link attributes, not just the draft.

Never publish local file locations, private network addresses, host names, machine identities, access keys, client names or business income figures. Do not copy private logs into a public build log. Describe a worker by its role, and describe evidence in plain language. If you cannot verify that a detail is cleared for sharing, leave it out.

## Put it to work

Choose one small outcome. Write the packet. Let one worker build and another check. I keep examples of shipped work in my Build log. If you want help choosing the crew and the steps, my Working Session is $95: a written brief within 24 hours, plus seven days of follow-up. A custom build is separate.