Overview
The iceberg technique provides a mental model for strategic context loading.
Only a small portion of an iceberg is visible above the water. A much larger body exists below the surface.
In an agent system, the information above the waterline is immediately present in the active context. It may include:
- Essential global rules.
- Essential local rules.
- Compact memory.
- Current task context.
- The active file or relevant file segment.
- The current definition of done.
- The most important recent tool results.
The information below the waterline is not loaded in full. It remains accessible through tools. It may include:
- The complete codebase.
- Large documents.
- Detailed research files.
- The full git history.
- Web data.
- Large tool outputs.
- Complete skill instructions.
- Archived decisions.
The agent does not need all of this information at every moment. It needs the ability to retrieve the correct part when it becomes relevant.
The operating principle is:
Keep critical active information in context. Keep the larger knowledge base accessible on demand.