Leash
Leash sets how far an agent may go before it must check in: steps, money and time. The person sets each limit; the agent’s use fills it. At a limit the agent stops before crossing it and asks, with exactly what it needs to finish.
The agent has six steps, S$2,000 and 30 minutes to repaint the lobby. Start it: it stops after six steps and asks for three more. Allow them and it stops again before paying a deposit that would cross S$2,000.
Anatomy
When to use
- Whenever an agent can spend money, send messages or run for long on its own.
- When the right limit depends on the task: a S$2,000 repair, not a S$200,000 fit-out.
- Not as the only control for irreversible actions. Those stay person only, whatever the leash.
Behaviour
| Moment | The agent | The person |
|---|---|---|
| Below 80% | Works on | Watches the meters |
| From 80% | Works on; the meter turns ochre | Can raise the limit early |
| Next step would cross a limit | Stops before it and asks, naming what it needs | Allows exactly that, or stops it |
| Stopped | Reports what it did and what it spent | Has the summary |
The agent asks before it crosses, never after. A check-in names the cost of finishing, so the answer is one tap: “Raise to S$2,300.”
Best practices
- Set limits in the units people think in: steps, dollars, minutes.
- Offer exactly what the agent needs to finish, not a bigger round number.
- Log each step with what it cost, so the check-in can be judged on facts.
- Count every limit, including time spent waiting for replies.
Accessibility
- Each meter has its value in text: “S$300 of S$2,000”.
- Steppers are labelled for their limit and announce the new value.
- A check-in is announced and holds its answers as buttons, never a timeout.
Specifications
- Meter
- 8 pt bar; pigment, ochre from 80%
- Stepper
- 36 pt round buttons
- Check-in
- Ochre tint, 1 pt ochre outline
- Log row
- Step, cost and minutes