RFCs assume the reader knows the project. Agents know nothing. Externalizing implicit context is the difference between perfect code in the wrong architecture and code that actually fits.
RFCs are static documents. Prompts are interactive conversations. When you combine the discipline of one with the flexibility of the other, that's where the magic happens.
Without clear acceptance criteria, the agent doesn't know when to stop. The result is gold-plating or incomplete delivery - the same problems humans have, amplified.
Without explicit contracts, each agent invents its own interface. The result? Systems that work alone but break together.
The most underrated section of any RFC is 'out of scope'. For AI agents, it's the difference between a useful result and three hours of rework.
