CatoCut
A calm, focused space for engineers who build with AI agents — not against them, not around them, but with them as first-class collaborators in the engineering process.
This is not a news feed. Not an AI tools directory. Not a hype amplifier. It's an engineering publication for people who care about building agent-first systems that actually work in production.
What is Agent-First Engineering?
Agent-First Engineering is a development approach where AI agents are not afterthoughts or productivity tools, but core architectural components. It means designing systems, workflows, and specifications with agent capabilities and limitations in mind from the very beginning.
It's the difference between "adding AI to a workflow" and "designing a workflow where agents are equal participants." The former is duct tape. The latter is architecture.
Principles
Intent over noise
Every interaction starts with a clear declaration of intent. Agents don't need more prompts — they need better specs.
Spec before automation
Automation without specification is just fast chaos. Write the contract first, then let the agent execute.
Agents execute, human steers
The human defines what and why. The agent handles how. This separation is the foundation of reliable agent systems.
Fewer controls, better control
More configuration doesn't mean more power. Constraint-based design produces more predictable and trustworthy agents.
Clarity over interface theatrics
No decorative complexity. Every element earns its place. If it doesn't help reading, finding, or trusting — it's gone.
What this site publishes
Essays
Deep thinking about agent architecture, patterns, and engineering philosophy.
Playbooks
Step-by-step guides to specific agent engineering tasks.
Case studies
Real production stories — what worked, what broke, what we learned.
Postmortems
Honest breakdowns of failures and incidents in agent-first systems.
Connect
Follow new articles and discuss agent engineering