---
id: "action-audit-tribal-knowledge"
type: "action-item"
source_timestamps: ["00:17:16", "00:17:28"]
tags: ["process-mapping", "discovery"]
related: ["framework-agent-deployment-commandments", "quote-audit-before-automate", "concept-clarity-of-intent"]
action: "Map out actual processes, including edge cases and tribal knowledge, before automating."
outcome: "An agent deployment that actually handles real-world business complexity rather than failing on edge cases."
speakers: ["Nate B. Jones"]
sources: ["s53-agent-100x-review-3x"]
sourceVaultSlug: "s53-agent-100x-review-3x"
originDay: 53
---
# Audit Tribal Knowledge Before Automating

## Action

**Map out actual processes, including edge cases and tribal knowledge, before automating.**

## What to Do

Before writing any agent prompts:

1. Map the **actual** business process as performed by humans (not the idealized SOP).
2. Capture **edge cases** and undocumented exception handling.
3. Capture **tribal knowledge** — the implicit rules veterans use without writing down.
4. Treat this artifact as the input to [[concept-clarity-of-intent]].

## Outcome

An agent deployment that handles real-world business complexity rather than failing on edge cases. This is **commandment one** of [[framework-agent-deployment-commandments]], and the rhetorical anchor is [[quote-audit-before-automate]].