working-with-llms

# Working with LLMs ## Workflow Follow this sequence for all LLM-facing content. Do not skip steps. ### Step 1: State the Objective Before writing anything, state the desired outcome explicitly in your response: ``` **Objective:** [One sentence describing what the LLM should do when this content is applied] ``` This checkpoint is visible to the user. Every instruction that follows must directly serve this objective. ### Step 2: Draft Write instructions that serve the objective. Draft as you normally would, but do not present to the user yet - the draft must go through at least one iteration/refinement step before presenting. ### Step 3: Verify Before presenting to the user, ALWAYS launch a sub-agent to explicitly verify draft contents against these criteria: - Is this actionable? (Commands behavior, not describes principles) - Does the model need this? (Would it behave worse without it?) - Each instruction is imperative (do X) not descriptive (X is important) - No speculative "don't" instructions - only prohibitions earned by observed behavior - Context directly serves the objective, not "nice to know" - If guarding against a pattern, there's an explicit verification step, not just a prohibition ### Step 4: Make Adjustments Make any fixes identified in Step 3, then review again against the criteria. Only present to the user once the draft passes verification. ## Principles Reference Use these when evaluating instructions in Steps 2-3: **Token cost.** Context wi...