ZTE Progression Skill
Guide teams through the three levels of agentic coding: In-Loop, Out-Loop, and Zero-Touch Engineering.
When to Use
- Assessing current agentic maturity level
- Planning progression to higher automation
- Identifying blockers to ZTE adoption
- Building confidence for autonomous operation
Core Concepts
Three Levels
| Level | Presence KPI | Description |
|---|---|---|
| In-Loop | Constant | Interactive prompting |
| Out-Loop | 2 (prompt + review) | AFK agents with review |
| Zero-Touch | 1 (prompt only) | Full automation |
Progression Requirements
In-Loop -> Out-Loop:
- Workflows succeed on first attempt
- Tests catch issues reliably
- Similar tasks repeat frequently
Out-Loop -> ZTE:
- 90%+ success rate
- Review catches nothing new
- Tests provide safety net
Assessment Workflow
Step 1: Identify Current Level
Search for agentic workflow indicators:
Look for:
- Manual prompting patterns (In-Loop)
- Automated workflows with review (Out-Loop)
- Fully automated shipping (ZTE)
Step 2: Analyze Success Metrics
Review KPI data if available:
Check @agentic-kpis.md or equivalent:
- Attempt counts
- Success streaks
- Review catch rates
Step 3: Identify Blockers
Common blockers to progression:
| Blocker | Mitigation |
|---|---|
| Low test coverage | Improve tests before progressing |
| Inconsistent success | Analyze failures, improve prompts |
| Review catches issues | Tests need to catch these first |
| No rollback capability | Add before enabling ZTE |
Step 4: Recommend Next Steps
Based on current level, recommend:
At In-Loop:
- Start with Out-Loop for chores
- Build workflow automation
- Establish review process
At Out-Loop:
- Track review catch rate
- Build confidence with simple tasks
- Consider ZTE for high-confidence areas
Near ZTE:
- Enable for chores first
- Expand progressively
- Monitor continuously
Key Memory References
- @zte-progression.md - Three levels definition
- @zte-confidence-building.md - Building ZTE confidence
- @agentic-kpis.md - KPI tracking
- @composable-primitives.md - Workflow building blocks
Output Format
Provide assessment:
## ZTE Assessment
**Current Level:** [In-Loop | Out-Loop | ZTE]
**Problem Classes Assessed:** [chores, bugs, features]
### Indicators Found
- [Evidence of current level]
### Blockers to Progression
- [Identified blockers]
### Recommendations
1. [Specific next step]
2. [Specific next step]
### Target Timeline
- [Realistic progression timeline]
Anti-Patterns to Identify
- Skipping levels (Out-Loop before tests exist)
- All-or-nothing thinking (must ZTE everything)
- Ignoring failure signals (pushing forward despite issues)
- Review theater (reviewing without catching anything)
Version History
- v1.0.0 (2025-12-26): Initial release
Last Updated
Date: 2025-12-26 Model: claude-opus-4-5-20251101