EC1B1 Python Coding SupportFollow-up resources for LSE BSc Economics
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13 Feb 2026

Session 4 Summary: Planning, Skills, and Sub-Agents

Fourth support session (of 5) on planning-first agent workflows, reusable skills, and consistency checks with sub-agents and anchor files.

Session overview

This was Session 4 of 5 in the programme (Fri 13 Feb, 09:00 GMT). The focus was how to use AI coding agents more systematically for coursework and research projects: plan first, then execute; build reusable skills; and enforce consistency with sub-agents and anchor files.

Poll and tool snapshot

  • A live poll asked: "Are you using Cursor?"
  • Some participants reported using Cursor free tier; nobody reported paying for Cursor.
  • At least one participant reported using Antigravity.
  • Students using other tools were asked to share them in chat or by email.

Key topics covered

1. Plan first, execute second

  • The core recommendation was to avoid asking agent mode to immediately generate long code outputs.
  • Use Plan mode first to compare options and define a controlled workflow.
  • Planning reduced rework and made choices explicit (e.g., inflation measure choices, unemployment definitions, optional expectations variables).

2. End-to-end demo workflow (Phillips Curve project)

  • Demo project: research how the Phillips Curve changed over time in European countries.
  • Two parallel tasks were launched:
    • literature review agent
    • data strategy/data download agent
  • Cursor generated:
    • a structured literature review document
    • a data-strategy document
    • Python scripts to pull Eurostat series and save CSV files

3. Why planning mode matters

  • Direct agent execution can produce large outputs immediately.
  • Plan mode gave a more nuanced strategy and surfaced alternatives before code generation.
  • This improves review quality and reduces the risk of hidden mistakes.

4. Skills: reusable prompts and workflows

  • A skill was created using .cursor/Skills/<Skill Name>/Skill.md.
  • The session emphasized metadata, expected inputs/outputs, and repeatability.
  • Skills can be invoked with slash commands and reused across projects/tools.
  • Portability note: folder names differ by tool, but the skill pattern is similar.

5. Skills ecosystem and repositories

  • The session highlighted existing shared skill libraries and skill creators.
  • Examples discussed included economics-focused skills (e.g., Stata workflows, visualization, LaTeX support) and the Anthropic skill creator pattern.

6. Sub-agents and consistency checks

  • Running multiple agents in parallel can create inconsistent outputs across project parts.
  • Proposed fix: define a sub-agent to review consistency across the full folder and list required fixes.

7. Anchor files for project-level alignment

  • Use an anchor file with project goals, constraints, and preferred methods.
  • Discussed patterns:
    • Agents.md for Cursor/Codex/Gemini-style workflows
    • CLAUDE.md for Claude Code

Recommended workflow from this session

  1. Draft the project question and constraints first.
  2. Use Plan mode to generate options and a workflow.
  3. Review and edit the plan before execution.
  4. Execute with agent mode in smaller chunks.
  5. Reuse skills for repeated tasks.
  6. Run sub-agent or consistency-review passes.
  7. Keep anchor files (Agents.md / CLAUDE.md) up to date.
  8. Verify outputs manually; do not trust generated code blindly.

Action items (instructor)

  • Publish links/resources on the website for skills, agents, and tool docs.
  • In Session 5, demonstrate full project structuring with skills + sub-agents + anchor files.
  • In Session 5, demonstrate practical verification methods on a real research-style workflow.

Reminders for students

  • The objective is not just speed; it is controlled, verifiable workflows.
  • Plan before execution to avoid reviewing huge low-quality outputs.
  • Keep building your personal library of reusable skills.
  • Cross-check every generated output before using it in coursework.

What's next

Session 5 is now available: Session 5 Summary: Mock Coursework Workflow and AI Project Setup.

Related resources