Note

June 25, 2026

1 min read

Useful Mistake, Still a Mistake

By Cristiano Pierry

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Agent usefulness is not enough; good collaboration also depends on respecting the boundary and shape of the request.

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Bob stands inside a permission boundary beside a latched work case and an inspection lens.

I asked an agent to search the code and not touch anything.

It searched the code, found the right files, and edited them anyway.

I called it out.

It apologized and explained what it should have done.

A paper note records an agent editing code despite an instruction to search only, then acknowledging the mistake.
A paper note records an agent editing code despite an instruction to search only, then acknowledging the mistake.

The funny part: the edits were actually good.

So I kept them.

Useful mistake. Still a mistake.

That’s the part I’m trying to get better at with agents: not just whether they can do the work, but whether they can follow the shape of the request.

This writing reflects my personal perspectives on product management, AI, and content discovery. It does not represent the official position of my employer or any affiliated organization.