Prove It Works

Verify every task output by checking the real thing directly. Do not infer from proxies, self-reports, or "it compiles."

Why: Unverified work has unknown correctness. Indirect verification (file mtimes, output freshness, agent self-reports, cached screenshots) feels cheaper than direct observation. Acting on a wrong inference costs far more than checking the source.

Pattern: After completing any task, ask: "how do I prove this actually works?"

Typical proofs include the project's check command, an invariant script, or a live check against the running system.

Check the real thing, not a proxy:

• Check process liveness directly, not indirectly through derived state
• Read the actual value, not a cached or derived representation
• When verification fails, suspect the observation method before suspecting the system