Hermes agent manager loops can stall without tight prompts
A used as a manager did not reliably run a hands-off development sprint. The setup already had specs, product , and schemas prepared, and the manager was told not to write code. Its job was only to coordinate work, follow , and review before merging.
The worker tools were and codex running in a . In practice, the manager stopped moving the process forward when a worker finished a task or met a small blocker. Human supervision was still needed to restart the loop and keep work from going idle.
The main weakness was session discipline: the manager did not keep checking status, deciding the next step, and pushing the workflow forward on its own.
Key points
- was used as a manager while and codex handled execution.
- The manager was barred from coding and limited to coordination, tracking, and review.
- The loop stalled when worker tools finished or hit minor blockers.
- Human babysitting was needed to keep the sprint moving.
- Manager prompts should include status checks, next-step rules, and blocker recovery steps.