The field guide · rule 14 of 16
Let tests decide when work is done
Agree what "correct" means as tests before you build, and for money, test the rule itself.
What it means
Without agreed checks, "finished" is just an opinion. Write tests at the right levels: small ones for single pieces, bigger ones for pieces working together, and full runs through a real browser. For important logic, run the old and the new code on the same inputs and compare. For money, test the rule that must always hold, not just a few examples.
What goes wrong without it
A change passes a quick look, goes live, and quietly breaks the refund flow.
How I build it
- My AI agent system runs its full test suite, type checks and a security check of its libraries before any change is shared.
- My chain-intelligence service has back-end tests, and browser tests that also check accessibility.
- In my mining pool, comparing the old and new code caught one miner being overpaid and another being underpaid. After the fix, a full test run matched every payout.
Ask your team
- Do tests decide when a piece of work is done?
- Is your most important money rule tested directly?
- Do tests run automatically before every release?
How a review checks this
A review reads what your tests actually prove, and names the important behaviour that nothing tests yet.
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