A Findings List Is Not a To-Do List
Type: Open-source — client-agnostic methodology, no project-specific detail.
Created by akbarsha — https://github.com/iamakbarsha1
Distilled from a case where "fix the rest of the findings" was nearly satisfied
by implementing every item — including ones the review itself had marked "no
fix required."
Licence: Released under CC BY 4.0 — share and adapt for any purpose with
credit. Full text: LICENSE at the repository root.
Feedback & Support: If a rule here proves wrong or needs sharpening,
open an issue on the repository or contact the author at the profile link
above. If the problem is the agent not following a rule below rather than
the rule itself, that's an execution failure — acknowledge and correct it.
The core rule
A review, audit, or recommendation list records findings with DISPOSITIONS —
not a flat queue of tasks to execute. "Fix the rest" does not mean "implement
every remaining item." Some items are explicitly marked no-fix or accepted;
some need a decision only a human can make; some are gated on a scale you don't
have yet. Before acting, re-read each item's own verdict and bucket the list;
then do the actionable ones, skip the blessed no-ops, and surface the
decisions — and say which bucket each landed in.
Checks
- Re-read each item's disposition before touching anything. Findings often
carry their own verdict ("no fix required", "acceptable", "won't fix",
"needs product decision", "revisit at scale"). Implementing an item the
review deliberately closed is actively wrong, not just wasted work. (Illustrative: A
request to "fix the remaining findings" would have implemented several items
the review had explicitly marked as requiring no change.)
- Bucket, don't queue. Sort the list into: actionable-now, review-blessed
no-op (skip), needs-a-human-decision (surface, don't guess), and scale/
condition-gated (defer with the trigger). Only the first bucket is work.
(Illustrative: An item reading "acceptable for now, revisit once load increases" got
queued as an ordinary task alongside real bugs instead of being sorted into
the scale-gated bucket, so it was implemented before its trigger condition
existed.)
- State the buckets back. Report what you're doing as the buckets, not as
"done all findings": "3 fixed, 2 were marked no-fix so skipped, 1 needs your
call on X, 1 deferred until Y." This prevents both over-implementing and
silently dropping items. (Illustrative: A summary reported "addressed all review
findings" while two items had actually been skipped as no-fix and one was
left pending a human call, and the gap surfaced only when the diff was
re-read by hand.)
Pre-flight check — before you act on a findings list
If any box is unchecked, you're running a queue, not honoring a review — go
re-read the dispositions.
1---2name: findings-list-is-not-a-todo-list3description: Use when re-engaged to "act on" or "fix the rest of" a review, audit, or recommendation list — the list is not a to-do list. Re-read each item's own disposition first and bucket them; some are explicitly marked no-fix, some need a human decision, some are scale-gated. Triggers on "fix the findings", "address the review", "do the rest of the recommendations", "apply the audit", "action these items", and acting on any list you or someone else produced earlier.4---56# A Findings List Is Not a To-Do List78**Type:** Open-source — client-agnostic methodology, no project-specific detail.910**Created by akbarsha — https://github.com/iamakbarsha1**1112Distilled from a case where "fix the rest of the findings" was nearly satisfied13by implementing every item — including ones the review itself had marked "no14fix required."1516**Licence:** Released under CC BY 4.0 — share and adapt for any purpose with17credit. Full text: `LICENSE` at the repository root.1819**Feedback & Support:** If a rule here proves wrong or needs sharpening,20open an issue on the repository or contact the author at the profile link21above. If the problem is the agent not following a rule below rather than22the rule itself, that's an execution failure — acknowledge and correct it.2324## The core rule2526A review, audit, or recommendation list records findings with DISPOSITIONS —27not a flat queue of tasks to execute. "Fix the rest" does not mean "implement28every remaining item." Some items are explicitly marked no-fix or accepted;29some need a decision only a human can make; some are gated on a scale you don't30have yet. Before acting, re-read each item's own verdict and bucket the list;31then do the actionable ones, skip the blessed no-ops, and surface the32decisions — and say which bucket each landed in.3334## Checks3536- **Re-read each item's disposition before touching anything.** Findings often37 carry their own verdict ("no fix required", "acceptable", "won't fix",38 "needs product decision", "revisit at scale"). Implementing an item the39 review deliberately closed is actively wrong, not just wasted work. *(Illustrative: A40 request to "fix the remaining findings" would have implemented several items41 the review had explicitly marked as requiring no change.)*42- **Bucket, don't queue.** Sort the list into: actionable-now, review-blessed43 no-op (skip), needs-a-human-decision (surface, don't guess), and scale/44 condition-gated (defer with the trigger). Only the first bucket is work.45 *(Illustrative: An item reading "acceptable for now, revisit once load increases" got46 queued as an ordinary task alongside real bugs instead of being sorted into47 the scale-gated bucket, so it was implemented before its trigger condition48 existed.)*49- **State the buckets back.** Report what you're doing as the buckets, not as50 "done all findings": "3 fixed, 2 were marked no-fix so skipped, 1 needs your51 call on X, 1 deferred until Y." This prevents both over-implementing and52 silently dropping items. *(Illustrative: A summary reported "addressed all review53 findings" while two items had actually been skipped as no-fix and one was54 left pending a human call, and the gap surfaced only when the diff was55 re-read by hand.)*5657## Pre-flight check — before you act on a findings list5859- [ ] You re-read each item's own disposition, not just its title.60- [ ] Items are bucketed (actionable / blessed no-op / needs-decision /61 gated), not treated as one flat queue.62- [ ] No item marked no-fix/accepted was implemented.63- [ ] Decisions were surfaced to the human rather than guessed, and you stated64 the buckets back.6566If any box is unchecked, you're running a queue, not honoring a review — go67re-read the dispositions.
iamakbarsha1