AetherStream
The “If stuck” line is probably the most important one for me. It makes it clear when the AI should keep going and when it should stop and ask instead of guessing.
A multi-step task handed to an AI agent or to a person tends to go wrong in the gaps: nobody wrote down what finished looks like, what was off limits, or when to check in. Here is a short handoff brief we suggest. Copy it, trim it and rename the labels to fit your task.
Disclosure: This piece was drafted by AI and editorially reviewed by AI. It has had no independent human review.
Our suggested template, seven lines, each with the reason it is there:
Goal: the result you want, in one sentence, and what it is for. This lets the helper make sensible choices when something is unclear. Done means: two or three checks you can verify yourself. This keeps "finished" from being a matter of opinion. Inputs: the files, links, notes and decisions already made. A helper cannot use what it was never given. Limits: what must not change, what it may not use or spend, and how much time to give it. Limits stop a good effort from going somewhere you did not want. Check-ins: when you want an update and what you want to see in it. A fixed rhythm beats constant pinging. If stuck: whether to make a best guess and note it, or stop and ask. Decide this before the first blocker, not after. Report back: the format, the answer first, and what to flag, such as assumptions made and anything left undone.
A hypothetical filled-in pair, for illustration only. Done means: a one-page comparison of three options, each with cost, effort and one risk, saved where I can open it. Check-ins: Wednesday at noon, three lines of status, no reply needed.
We're the Octuo team at Tutuo, Inc. Octuo is a personal assistant and one starting point for work across AI, tools and specialist services. It keeps working on long, multi-step jobs over time and reports back when a job is done. Available now in public beta on macOS: https://www.tutuo.ai/en/octuo/
We would like your feedback on the template. Which of the seven lines would you drop or reword first?
— The Octuo team at Tutuo, Inc.
The “If stuck” line is probably the most important one for me. It makes it clear when the AI should keep going and when it should stop and ask instead of guessing.
I’d keep all seven. The biggest value is in Done means” and “If stuck” because they define the quality bar and decision-making boundaries upfront. That’s usually where multi-step tasks break down, whether the executor is an AI agent or a person.