Start with contracts
Learn structured output and function/tool calling. Make model outputs machine-checkable before connecting important actions.
Add evidence
Build a small RAG workflow with citations and test retrieval separately from answer quality.
Measure changes
Create a golden set and track quality, latency and cost. Every model or prompt change should be compared to a baseline.
Add autonomy last
Only after tools, permissions and observability are stable should an agent choose multi-step actions. Keep approvals for irreversible operations.