AgentOps First-Value Path
July 13, 2026 · View on GitHub
This is the path after a README skim or install. It proves the product — the operating loop from intent to validated code — without requiring the full factory, a substrate, or a council demo.
Front door: skills. The CLI bookkeeps and gates; it is not the product entry.
Canonical map: Intent → Validated Code · Skills Matrix.
First value
One behavior through the loop:
- Install AgentOps skills on your coding-agent runtime.
- Shape a small intent as Given / When / Then (
/planor/discovery→/plan). - Implement against a failing acceptance test (
/implement). - Prove that behavior with the membrane (
/validate) — verdict cites the scenario. - Only then optionally track follow-ups (
/beads-br) or run a full tick (/rpi).
Without a behavior contract, /validate has nothing rigorous to accept against.
That is intentional: no runnable acceptance, no honest "done."
Target viewer
An engineer who already uses Claude Code, Codex CLI, Cursor, or OpenCode and wants agent work to end in validated code, not a chat claim.
They do not need NTM, Gas City, evolve autonomy, or multi-judge council on day one.
Time budget
| Step | Budget | Success signal |
|---|---|---|
Install skills (+ optional ao) | 2–5 min | Agent lists /plan, /implement, /validate (or /rpi) |
| Shape one behavior | 3–8 min | One Gherkin scenario (happy + edge) written on a bead or plan |
| Implement | 5–15 min | Acceptance test went RED for the right reason, then green |
| Membrane | 3–10 min | /validate PASS/HOLD that names the scenario / acceptance evidence |
| Optional bookkeeping | 2 min | Follow-up bead or /postmortem --quick |
Commands and expected outcomes
1. Install
Use the matching installer from the README. Then open your agent and confirm skills resolve (exact UX varies by runtime):
/plan
/implement
/validate
Optional CLI:
ao doctor
ao --version
2. Shape intent as BDD
In the agent:
/plan "<one small capability>"
Or, if the idea is fuzzy:
/discovery --ideate
then /plan on the resulting packet.
Required output (minimum):
- Feature / capability name
- One happy-path Given/When/Then
- At least one edge or failure path
- Non-goals
- What evidence will prove done (test name or command)
Template: docs/templates/intent-issue.md. Discipline: behavior-first-planning.
3. Implement one slice
/implement <issue-id> # or the slice just planned
Success: first acceptance test fails for missing behavior (not syntax), then passes after the smallest change; refactor does not edit the test contract.
4. Validate against that behavior
/validate
Success: verdict is PASS/WARN/FAIL (or CONFIRMED/HOLD) and explicitly maps to the scenario / acceptance commands. If there is no scenario and no runnable acceptance, treat HOLD as correct — do not celebrate a vibe review.
Optional upgrades after first value (not required):
/council validate …
/premortem # next time, before implement
5. Optional: one-tick wrapper next time
/rpi "<small goal>"
Same loop (Discovery → Crank → Validate → Learn) as one orchestrated tick. See operating loop.
6. Optional out-of-session lane (later)
Only after a human has seen a membrane verdict on a real behavior. Substrate
(NTM / MCP / managed-agents / Gas City) dispatches whole /rpi ticks — it does
not replace the loop. Details: docs/3.0.md.
First artifacts to inspect
| Artifact | Why it matters |
|---|---|
Plan / bead with ## Scenarios (Gherkin) | The contract "done" will be checked against |
| Failing-then-passing acceptance test | ATDD proof the behavior exists |
/validate verdict (e.g. under .agents/) | Membrane bound to that contract |
_beads/issues.jsonl (if tracked) | Intent left chat and became engineering work |
Friction list
| Friction | Handling |
|---|---|
| Agent wants to "just code" | Stop at /plan until Gherkin exists — no bead without acceptance |
/validate without scenarios | HOLD; write scenarios; re-run — do not lower the bar |
Mixed /council needs two runtimes | Skip council on first value; single-runtime /validate is enough |
| Substrate docs distract | Ignore until after first membrane verdict on a behavior |
| Want CLI-only path | ao verify is a commit/pre-push ratchet, not the product front door |