One Solo Founder's Five Hard Rules for Keeping AI Agents in Check

A solo developer running multiple small apps with AI agents has outlined five strict boundaries that keep his automated setup from going off the rails. He never lets agents send anything externally, touch credentials, or perform irreversible actions like deleting data or moving money without his explicit approval. Any new automation must come with a clear hypothesis, a measurable success metric, and a planned expiry date to prevent unchecked sprawl. Agents are also barred from making judgment calls on whether work meets quality standards — that decision always stays with the human. The author argues that true leverage from AI autonomy depends not on removing limits, but on knowing precisely where to draw them.