From First-Run Drop-Off to First Useful Agent Run

Short summary

The article argues that agent onboarding failures are often repo-readiness problems, not model problems. It recommends creating an AGENTS.md file — an open format used by 60k+ open-source projects — to give coding agents predictable repo context like source paths, test locations, and files to avoid. Combined with goose, an open-source agent runtime from the Agentic AI Foundation, teams can design a focused first-run task that builds developer trust within 10 minutes.

• •Agent onboarding fails mostly due to poor repo readiness, not weak models
• •AGENTS.md is an open format (60k+ repos) giving coding agents predictable repo context
• •Pair AGENTS.md with a single focused first-run task and a visible stopping point to build trust

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