Running a local 9B as a coding agent: brief the big model to plan, let the small model execute
Electrical_Ninja3805 · reddit · 2026-10-27
A developer shares a public briefing file that lets a strong planner (Claude Code) write plans a local Ornith 1.5-9B (8-bit) can execute, cutting Claude token spend. The big model writes specs and small task cards and verifies before merge; the local 9B handles the token-heavy mechanical middle: commands, builds, polling, git. Key briefing rules: exact files/line ranges, absolute paths, 1–3 line edits, exact signatures, every step ending in a command with expected output, explicit stop rules, fresh session per task, and verifying claims against git/logs instead of the model's summary. Result: a 75-commit cross-repo merge with all regression tests passing. Trade-off: most of a day vs 1 hour for Claude alone.
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