Fan out work without losing the plot

Run independent investigations in parallel, then bring the evidence back into one decision.

Last updated August 2026Copy a starter prompt ↓

Use fanout for independent questions

Fanout is useful when several investigations can proceed without editing the same files. Brief keeps each branch bounded and makes the lead agent synthesize one answer.

Good: compare three reference implementations, audit separate layers, or research distinct options.
Good: split frontend, backend, tests, and security into read-only investigations.
Avoid: tiny tasks, tightly coupled edits, or parallel agents changing the same files.

Give every branch a clear question

Ask your coding agent

Use Brief to fan out this investigation into up to three independent, read-only tracks: <track one>, <track two>, and <track three>. Give each track a precise question, source boundary, evidence requirement, and stop condition. Then synthesize one recommendation, call out disagreements, and propose the smallest mission. Don't make overlapping edits.

Require synthesis, not a pile of reports

Ask your coding agent

Bring the fanout results back together. Deduplicate the findings, separate facts from inference, rank the risks, and show which source changed the recommendation. Give me one decision and one next step—not three parallel summaries.

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