II. Context Loading

Load context when needed, not all at once. Never exceed 40%.

The Problem

::: danger Context Collapse When context exceeds ~40%, quality degrades suddenly—not gradually. You'll see:

• Inconsistent outputs
• Forgotten instructions
• Hallucinated details
• Lost focus on goals :::

The Solution

Sub-Agent Architecture

::: tip Key Insight Each sub-agent gets a fresh context window. Deep work happens in isolation. Only compressed results flow back to main. :::

The 40% Rule

::: warning Why 40%? This threshold appears across cognitive systems: ADHD hyperfocus, LLM coherence, database performance. It's not arbitrary—it's empirical. :::

Implementation

::: code-group

# Instead of exploring in main context:
# Use Task tool to spawn explorer
Task(
  prompt="Find all auth-related files",
  subagent_type="Explore"
)
# Returns: 3-5 line summary, not full content

# Sub-agent returns compressed insight:
"Auth handled in src/auth/:
 - middleware.ts (JWT validation)
 - routes.ts (login/logout)
 - types.ts (User interface)"

# NOT the full 500-line files

# Research phase → fresh context
# Plan phase → fresh context
# Implement phase → fresh context
# Each starts clean

:::

Real Example

Session Start: 0% context

1. User: "Add rate limiting to API"

2. Main agent (5% context):
   → Spawns Explorer sub-agent

3. Explorer (fresh context):
   → Reads 15 files
   → Returns: "API routes in src/routes/api.ts,
     uses Express middleware pattern"
   → Context discarded

4. Main agent (10% context):
   → Has summary, not 15 files
   → Spawns Implementer

5. Implementer (fresh context):
   → Reads api.ts + rate-limit docs
   → Returns: diff + "Added express-rate-limit"
   → Context discarded

6. Main agent (15% context):
   → Clean, focused, successful

Checklist

• Main agent stays under 20% context
• Delegate exploration to sub-agents
• Sub-agents return summaries, not full content
• Fresh context for each workflow phase
• Compress before crossing 40% threshold

Related Factors