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The 12 Factors
Battle-tested patterns for reliable AI agent operations. Start with Factor I and progress through each tier.
I
foundationAutomated Tracking
Track everything in git. Learn from history.
8 min read
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II
foundationContext Loading
Load when needed, not all at once. Stay under 40%.
20 min read
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III
foundationFocused Agents
One agent, one job. Compose from simple parts.
17 min read
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IV
foundationContinuous Validation
Validate at every step. Catch errors in seconds.
10 min read
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V
operationsMeasure Everything
Track the five core metrics. Know when things break.
10 min read
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VI
operationsResume Work
Resume across days without context loss.
19 min read
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VII
operationsSmart Routing
Right task, right agent, every time.
21 min read
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VIII
operationsHuman Validation
Humans in the loop for critical decisions.
26 min read
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IX
improvementMine Patterns
Capture what works. Build institutional memory.
12 min read
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X
improvementSmall Iterations
Always improving. Never stagnant.
13 min read
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XI
improvementFail-Safe Checks
Clear boundaries. Safe automation.
20 min read
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XII
improvementPackage Patterns
Package once, deploy everywhere.
25 min read
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