Codex as a build partner
Notes on using Codex for implementation, verification, refactoring, and maintaining momentum in a real codebase.
Give the agent context
Codex performs best when it can read the project, understand existing patterns, make a narrow change, and run checks before handing work back.
Keep verification close
The useful loop is not prompt, output, trust. It is inspect, edit, verify, adjust. That loop makes agent work feel like engineering rather than generation.