tech
Forget prompt engineering: 'Loop engineering' is all the rage now
Claude Code creator Boris Cherny says he doesn't "write the prompt anymore." Here's how loop engineering is changing coding.
TL;DR
- AI creators like Boris Cherny and Peter Steinberger advocate for 'loop engineering' over traditional prompt writing.
- Loops are recurring systems that guide AI agents, automating tasks and reducing user intervention.
- An example is instructing an AI to work on a task until completion (/goal) rather than prompting at each step.
- Loop engineering involves components like automations, worktrees, skills, plugins, connectors, and sub-agents.
- A common setup involves one agent writing code and another reviewing it to ensure quality.
- Loops can be applied to various roles beyond coding, such as executive assistants or customer service agents.
- The primary concern with loops is the potential cost increase due to higher token consumption.
- Strategies to manage costs include optimizing API call frequency and using sub-agents only when a second opinion is valuable.