The Flight Director Paradigm

Tevis introduces a fundamental shift in how software gets built. Instead of writing every line yourself, you become the Flight Director—orchestrating AI agents to execute your vision.

From Developer to Director

Traditional Development

Developer
    │
    ├── Write code
    ├── Debug issues
    ├── Write tests
    ├── Review own work
    └── Deploy

You do everything. Context switches constantly. Progress is linear.

The Flight Director Model

Flight Director (You)
    │
    ├── Define strategic vision
    ├── Approve plans
    ├── Monitor execution
    └── Review & merge

AI Agents (TPUs)
    │
    ├── Draft plans
    ├── Write code
    ├── Run tests
    ├── Fix issues
    └── Report progress

You direct. AI executes. Progress is parallel.

The NASA Inspiration

The Flight Director paradigm takes direct inspiration from NASA's Mission Control Center. During space missions, the Flight Director:

• Doesn't fly the spacecraft — Astronauts and automated systems do that
• Makes strategic decisions — Go/No-Go calls, contingency handling
• Coordinates specialists — Each console operator has deep expertise
• Maintains situational awareness — Real-time telemetry and status
• Bears responsibility — Ultimate accountability for mission success

This maps directly to Tevis:

NASA Mission Control	Tevis Mission Control
Flight Director	You
Mission	Your project
Astronauts	AI agents (TPUs)
Flight plan	Nanocycle plan
Telemetry	Execution logs
Go/No-Go decisions	Review gates
Mission phases	Nanocycles
Procedures	Planning context

Core Principles

1. AI Proposes, Human Disposes

Every significant action requires your approval:

Planning
    AI drafts plan  →  You review  →  Approve/Revise

Execution
    AI writes code  →  Hold points  →  You review

Completion
    AI finishes     →  You review   →  Merge/Reject

This isn't about distrust—it's about leverage. AI handles the mechanical work while you maintain creative and strategic control.

2. Strategic Alignment

Every nanocycle connects to your broader goals through planning context:

Layer	Timeframe	Purpose
Macrocycle	Months	Strategic vision, quarterly OKRs
Mesocycle	Weeks	Feature themes, monthly focus
Microcycle	Days	Tactical priorities, weekly plans

This ensures AI work aligns with what actually matters, not just what's technically interesting.

3. Persistent Memory

Unlike stateless AI interactions, Tevis maintains memory:

• Architectural decisions — Why you chose one approach over another
• Code conventions — Your project's patterns and preferences
• Past lessons — What worked, what didn't, and why
• Your preferences — How you like things done

Memory compounds. The more you work with Tevis, the better it understands your project.

4. Parallel Execution

A Flight Director doesn't wait for one system to complete before checking another. Similarly, Tevis enables parallel work:

┌─ Feature A ─────────────┐
│ TPU-1: Working...       │
└─────────────────────────┘
        │
        ├── Progress: 60%
        │
┌─ Feature B ─────────────┐
│ TPU-2: Working...       │
└─────────────────────────┘
        │
        ├── Progress: 40%
        │
┌─ Feature C ─────────────┐
│ TPU-3: Working...       │
└─────────────────────────┘

Multiple features progress simultaneously. Your throughput multiplies.

Your Role as Flight Director

Strategic Direction

You define what to build, not how to build it:

# What you write (strategic)
"Add user authentication with JWT tokens,
refresh token rotation, and secure password storage"

# What AI figures out (tactical)
- bcrypt for password hashing
- Access tokens: 15min expiry
- Refresh tokens: 7 days expiry
- HTTPOnly cookies for refresh tokens
- Token blacklisting for logout

Plan Review

When AI generates a plan, you evaluate:

• Completeness — Does it cover all requirements?
• Approach — Is the technical approach sound?
• Scope — Is it appropriately sized?
• Alignment — Does it fit the broader vision?

Execution Monitoring

During execution, you:

• Watch the consciousness stream for real-time updates
• Respond to hold points when decisions need your input
• Monitor for issues that need intervention

Quality Assurance

Before merging, you verify:

• Code meets your standards
• Tests pass and cover edge cases
• No security issues introduced
• Aligns with project conventions

Hold Points

Like NASA's "Go/No-Go" polls, Tevis uses hold points to pause execution when your input is needed:

Hold Point Type	Trigger	Your Decision
Ambiguous requirement	AI isn't sure what you meant	Clarify intent
Significant deletion	Removing substantial code	Approve/Reject
Test failure	Tests don't pass	Fix/Skip/Abort
External dependency	Needs credentials/config	Provide/Skip
Architecture decision	Multiple valid approaches	Choose direction

Hold points prevent AI from going down wrong paths. They're features, not bugs.

Anti-Patterns to Avoid

Don't Micro-Manage

❌ "Use the fs.readFileSync function on line 47 to read the config file"

✅ "Read configuration from a config file"

Let AI make tactical decisions. Focus on intent.

Don't Abandon Oversight

❌ Approve everything without review
❌ Skip all hold points
❌ Merge without testing

✅ Review plans critically
✅ Engage with hold points
✅ Verify before merging

The Flight Director is ultimately responsible for mission success.

Don't Fight the Model

❌ Try to write code through chat
❌ Use Tevis like a code-completion tool
❌ Create 50-task nanocycles

✅ Plan at the appropriate level
✅ Let AI handle implementation
✅ Keep nanocycles focused (5-15 tasks)

Embrace the paradigm shift.

When to Intervene

Flight Directors don't intervene constantly, but they do when necessary:

Intervene When:

• AI is clearly going down the wrong path
• Hold point presents a critical decision
• Execution is taking unexpectedly long
• Quality issues are appearing in reviews

Don't Intervene When:

• AI is making reasonable implementation choices
• Progress is steady even if not how you'd do it
• Minor stylistic differences from your preference
• Things are working but could be "slightly better"

Trust the system. Your time is for strategic decisions, not tactical tweaks.

The Flow State

When the Flight Director paradigm clicks, you enter a new kind of flow state:

1. Morning: Review overnight progress, approve plans
2. Deep work: While AI executes, you handle strategy, architecture, other work
3. Checkpoints: Respond to hold points, review completed work
4. Evening: Set up next nanocycle, let AI work overnight

Your output multiplies while your context switches decrease.

Summary

The Flight Director paradigm is about leverage:

• AI handles the 80% of work that's mechanical
• You focus on the 20% that requires human judgment
• Together, you ship faster than either alone

"The best Flight Directors make it look easy. They're calm under pressure because they trust their systems, their teams, and their preparation. The drama happens in the spacecraft. Mission Control just makes sure everything goes according to plan—or adapts when it doesn't."

Welcome to Mission Control.