Overpowered / Checkpoint

Core rule

Persist the state required to continue, not a transcript of how the conversation felt.

Procedure

Create or update a CHECKPOINT.md in the working directory unless the user specifies another location.

Capture:

1. Goal — current objective and completion criteria.
2. Current state — what is done, in progress, and not started.
3. Authoritative inputs — exact artifacts/sources the receiver should trust.
4. Decisions — decisions made and why.
5. Rejected paths — only when retrying them would waste time.
6. Artifacts — files, branches, queries, outputs, and their purpose.
7. Evidence — checks already performed and their results.
8. Known issues / unknowns — material unresolved items.
9. Next action — the smallest useful next step.
10. Environment assumptions — only non-obvious requirements.

Receiver test

Before finishing, ask: Could a capable fresh agent resume correctly from this file plus the referenced artifacts, without the chat transcript? If not, add what is missing.

Gotchas

• Do not copy the full conversation.
• Do not write vague state such as “mostly done.”
• Do not omit negative decisions that a new agent is likely to repeat.
• Do not claim verification that was not actually performed.

Stop condition

Stop when the receiver test passes.