Re:Ask HN: What are the fundamentals of agentic coding?
by verdverm on Thursday November 05, 2026 @09:22AM
(#50379408)
> just prompt "its wrong please fix".
Even though they can do more, the context engineering (in-repo markdown) is important. Think of it like BigO, where having good agents.md removes the need to re-deduce how code works, explains invariants, and the like.
My #1 fundamental right now is staying in the loop. Leaving the agents to their own devices is a recipe for bad things. Be skeptical of fads, these are typically the people who've stopped looking and are just finding new ways to manage slop without having to practice craft.
Even though they can do more, the context engineering (in-repo markdown) is important. Think of it like BigO, where having good agents.md removes the need to re-deduce how code works, explains invariants, and the like.
My #1 fundamental right now is staying in the loop. Leaving the agents to their own devices is a recipe for bad things. Be skeptical of fads, these are typically the people who've stopped looking and are just finding new ways to manage slop without having to practice craft.