Multi-Agent Orchestration

Decompose work into independent units, dispatch them to sub-agents in parallel, and reconcile the results. The orchestrator owns decomposition, the contract, and the merge — sub-agents own execution only.

When to use

Use when the task has genuinely independent subtasks (separate files/modules, parallel research threads, fan-out search) and the serial cost is real. The win comes from independence.

Do not use when subtasks share mutable state, must run in sequence, or the coordination overhead exceeds the work. One focused agent beats five stepping on each other.

Decompose

Split so each unit is:

• Independent — no shared mutable state; no unit depends on another's output mid-flight.
• Self-contained — the prompt carries all context (paths, constraints, definition of done). Sub-agents do not see the conversation.
• Verifiable — a clear, checkable deliverable.

If two units must touch the same file or one needs another's result, either merge them into one unit or sequence them — don't parallelize.