Don't waste your back pressure ·

AI agents become more effective when given automated feedback mechanisms (back pressure) that let them self-correct without human intervention. Successful agent implementations provide tools like build systems, type checkers, and testing frameworks that allow agents to validate their own work. This shifts engineers from manually reviewing trivial errors to focusing on higher-level problems. Examples include giving agents access to bash commands for running builds, using strongly-typed languages for better error messages, and providing UI rendering tools for visual validation. The key is designing systems where agents can iterate independently until they meet quality standards.