Why do agent coding runs stop at 30 minutes? The missing machine-checkable feedback loop

EntireBig7258 · reddit · 2026-08-28

A developer using DeepSeek (via ZenMux) and Codex finds their coding tasks stop after 10-30 minutes: either the implementation is ready for review or the next step needs a human decision, so more elapsed time adds nothing.

They agree with Codex's official guidance—give the agent one outcome, a way to verify progress, and a stopping condition—but identify the feedback loop as the missing piece: a failing test gives the agent another useful action, while design choices should bounce back to the human. They ask the community what tasks provide enough machine-checkable feedback to keep an agent working for hours without wandering.

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