Build features as vertical slices through all layers, verifying each slice before starting the next. From The Pragmatic Programmer: get feedback as quickly as possible. Don't build horizontal layers in isolation (all endpoints, then all UI, then all tests). Build one thin vertical path, verify it works, then expand.
Skip for single-layer changes, one-file bug fixes, or work already decomposed into ordered vertical slices by a task tracker.
| Vertical over horizontal | Build one slice through all layers, not one layer across all features | | Verify before advancing | Tests pass, page renders, round-trip works before next slice | | One slice per session | Each slice should be completable in a single agent session |
Crea entidades multicapa como cortes verticales de un extremo a otro en lugar de capas horizontales. Cada segmento se verifica antes de que comience el siguiente. Úselo cuando: inicie cualquier tarea que abarque más de 2 capas (DB, API, UI, pruebas), cree funciones CRUD, implemente flujos de varios pasos, descomponga funciones en subtareas o planifique el orden de implementación. Fuente: oakoss/agent-skills.