Architect-builder cross-vendor loop
A two-vendor loop that pairs Claude as architect with Codex as builder, using the repo itself as shared memory: the architect writes specs, the builder implements one item per iteration, and the architect reviews the diffs on the next pass.
Implementation note
When to use: tasks where planning quality and implementation throughput are different problems — you want one model doing deliberate architecture and another grinding out code, with a review pass between them. How it works: Claude plays architect, Codex plays builder, and the repo itself is the shared memory. The architect writes plan and spec files into the repo; the builder implements one item per iteration from those specs; on the next pass the architect reviews the resulting diffs and updates the plan. Neither agent holds conversational state about the other — everything they know about each other's work lives in files and git history. Safety: the architect-reviews-diffs step is the built-in check — implementation drift gets caught on the next planning pass rather than accumulating silently. One item per builder iteration keeps changes bounded and attributable. Cap iterations on both sides and keep the spec files small enough that fresh-context reads stay reliable.
Source: DanMcInerney/architect-loop ↗
More planning loops
Ship verified code, one stage per agent
Run a multi-stage software factory pipeline where each agent handles one task in a fresh context, anchored to mechanical gates and held-out test suites.
Ralph Overnight Builds — Progressive Curriculum Entry
A graduated path to unattended Ralph runs: start with a single bounded task, add a PROMPT.md spec file, add verification, and only then remove the human from the loop for overnight builds.
Draft a sprint plan from the backlog
Turn the open issue backlog into a proposed two-week sprint plan with estimates, a dependency ordering, and an explicit cut line, written as a document for the team to edit.