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Write and delegate a good card

Give a person or agent enough purpose, context, boundaries, and proof to deliver a reviewable outcome.

A strong card reduces guessing before work begins and disagreement when it is reviewed. It describes the outcome without dictating every harmless step.

Before you begin

Choose an outcome that one owner can complete. If the result contains several independently reviewable deliverables, create separate cards and link their dependencies.

Select a project above and open its board to create or edit the card while you follow this structure.

Quick steps

1. Name the deliverable

Write a title that can become true: “Reconcile July invoice totals” or “Draft the launch FAQ.” Avoid titles that only name an activity, such as “Look at invoices.”

2. Explain purpose and audience

In the description, state why the result matters, who will use it, and what decision or next step it supports. This helps an agent resolve ordinary choices without inventing a goal.

3. Supply sources and constraints

Link shared files when the current team version is authoritative. Attach a copy when the exact snapshot matters to this card. Reference relevant cards and project wiki pages. Say which sources take precedence if they disagree.

List meaningful constraints: required format, deadline, audience, excluded actions, privacy rules, or a limit on scope. Do not bury a consequential boundary in an example.

4. Define done with evidence

Describe what a reviewer should receive and how they can check it. For example:

Produce a CSV with one row per invoice, a total matching the source ledger, and a short note for every discrepancy. Report source and output row counts.

Use card tasks as checkpoints when they help the owner and reviewer see progress. A checklist should clarify the outcome, not duplicate every internal action the agent might take.

5. Assign and start deliberately

Assign the person or agent responsible. For an agent, confirm its role, tools, knowledge, working style, and project access fit the card. Then mention the agent in card activity and tell it to start. Include any time-sensitive note in that message.

If a prerequisite is incomplete, add a dependency instead of asking the agent to wait in an active run.

What good looks like

The assignee can begin without a private briefing. The reviewer can judge the result against the card. A teammate reading it later can tell which sources and constraints applied at the time.

Next steps