Use when you need iterative self-improvement on any task. Implements the Ralph Loop pattern: Plan → Execute → Review → Learn → Improve → Repeat. Each cycle produces better output than the last.
Iterative self-improvement through continuous feedback cycles. Each cycle produces better output than the last.
<HARD-GATE> Do NOT skip the Review phase. Do NOT skip the Learn phase. Do NOT claim improvement without evidence. </HARD-GATE>Every cycle must produce measurable improvement over the previous cycle.
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ RALPH LOOP │
│ │
│ ┌──────┐ ┌──────────┐ ┌────────┐ │
│ │ Plan │───▶│ Execute │───▶│ Review │ │
│ └──────┘ └──────────┘ └────────┘ │
│ ▲ │ │
│ │ ┌──────────┐ ┌────────┘ │
│ └────│ Improve │◀───│ Learn │
│ └──────────┘ └────────┘ │
│ │
│ Each cycle → Better output than previous │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Define what you're building
Define how you'll measure improvement
Plan the approach
Build according to plan
Record what you did
Evaluate against criteria
Find the gaps
Score the output
Review Scorecard:
- Completeness: X/10 (what's missing?)
- Correctness: X/10 (what's wrong?)
- Quality: X/10 (what could be better?)
- Overall: X/10
Extract lessons
Update your approach
Plan the next cycle
Execute the improved approach
| Cycles | When to Use | Expected Improvement |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Simple tasks, time-critical | Baseline quality |
| 2 | Normal tasks, quality matters | 20-40% improvement |
| 3 | Complex tasks, high quality needed | 40-60% improvement |
| 4-5 | Critical tasks, maximum quality | 60-80% improvement |
| Standard | Description |
|---|---|
| Minimum | Functional, no critical issues |
| Standard | Functional, well-structured, minor issues acceptable |
| High | Production-ready, thoroughly tested, documented |
Cycle History:
Cycle 1: Score X/10 — Key issues: [list]
Cycle 2: Score X/10 — Improvements: [list], Remaining: [list]
Cycle 3: Score X/10 — Improvements: [list], Remaining: [list]
...
Improvement Rate: X% per cycle
Target: Y/10
Related skills: meta-cognition, quality-assurance, knowledge-synthesis, decision-framework