---
type: concept
title: "Stacking Context-Engineering Strategies"
description: "Composing complementary methods (e.g. BMAD for planning, PRP for execution) rather than replacing one with another."
tags: [ai-coding, context-engineering, workflow, strategy, stack]
videos: [every-rag-strategy-explained-in-13-minutes-no-fluff, archon-beta-launch-livestream-what-you-missed, the-3-must-have-mcp-servers-for-any-ai-coding-and-how-to-use-them, the-easiest-possible-strategy-for-accurate-rag-step-by-step-guide, insane-new-strategy-for-building-ai-agent-apps, im-addicted-to-windsurf-send-help, build-a-full-stack-app-for-your-n8n-ai-agent-in-20-minutes, v0-claude-a-game-changer-for-building-ai-apps]
created: 2026-07-21
updated: 2026-07-21
---

# Stacking Context-Engineering Strategies

Strategy stacking is the practice of composing several complementary methods into one pipeline instead of hunting for a single technique that does everything. Cole states the principle plainly for retrieval: "usually the optimal solution is going to combine around three to five rag strategies" [0:00:54]. The same mindset governs his whole workflow. Rather than treating BMAD, PRP, RAG strategies, MCP servers, or coding tools as rivals, he asks how to run them in tandem so each covers the others' weak spots.

The clearest payoff is measurable. Layering retrieval strategies together drove accuracy up sharply: "When we have all of these strategies combined together... we see the failure rate go from 10% all the way down to less than 3%" [0:03:37]. His recipe is specific, not generic: "I took contextual retrieval and I combined it with query expansion and agentic rag. So creating a more powerful system combining multiple strategies together" [0:25:36], and elsewhere "I would look at reranking agentic rag and context-aware chunking. Like specifically hybrid rag with Docling has been killing it for me" [0:12:24].

The pattern generalizes past RAG. In planning versus execution, Cole hands the output of one framework to the next: "I'm going to switch from BMAD to PRP. So we used BMAD for the planning" [0:35:00], then "I'm going to take the spec the PRD that we generated with BMAD and I'm going to turn that into a PRP so we can just start implementing it" [0:35:30]. He stacks knowledge sources the same way, pairing a RAG MCP server with web search: "a lot of times the knowledge base will give you here's how to use this specific library but then the brave search can tell you how to use these libraries together" [0:14:07]. And he stacks build tools, prototyping in one and finishing in another: "I'll build it out in Auto Dev or bolt... then I'll export it bring it into Windsurf add in the finishing touches" [0:04:44]. The unifying claim is that "using them in tandem gives you the Perfect Blend" [0:26:16]: complementary tools beat any single one.

## Part of

- [Context Engineering](./context-engineering.md) - stacking is the meta-strategy of context engineering: assemble complementary methods into one context pipeline.

## Related

- [Agentic RAG](./agentic-rag.md) - a common member of a stacked retrieval pipeline.
- [Contextual Retrieval](./contextual-retrieval.md) - combined with query expansion and agentic RAG in Cole's high-accuracy stack.
- [Context-Aware Chunking](./context-aware-chunking.md) - pairs with reranking and hybrid RAG in his recommended combination.
- [Reranking](./reranking.md) - a frequent final stage layered on top of retrieval strategies.
- [Hybrid Search](./hybrid-search.md) - hybrid RAG is a workhorse Cole stacks into most retrieval systems.
- [Planning with AI](./planning-with-ai.md) - BMAD-for-planning then PRP-for-execution is a planning-and-implementation stack.
- [Contract-First Development](./contract-first.md) - a discipline that composes cleanly with other planning strategies.
- [Agentic Coding](./agentic-coding.md) - the broader practice in which these stacks operate.
- [Agentic Search](./agentic-search.md) - combines with knowledge-base retrieval to cover what a static index misses.
- [AI Coding Harness](./ai-coding-harness.md) - a harness is where multiple stacked strategies are wired together.
- [Model Context Protocol (MCP)](./mcp.md) - MCP servers (RAG plus web search) are frequently stacked to complement each other.

## Tools

- [Archon](../entities/tools/archon.md) - Cole demos stacking existing context-engineering strategies (BMAD then PRP) inside Archon.
- [Windsurf](../entities/tools/windsurf.md) - the finishing tool he stacks after prototyping elsewhere.
- [Streamlit](../entities/tools/streamlit.md) - paired with Supabase and Claude in a full-stack build stack.
- [Supabase](../entities/tools/supabase.md) - ties an app together for auth alongside the other tools in the stack.
- [n8n](../entities/tools/n8n.md) - the agent backend stacked with a custom front end.
- [BMAD Method](../entities/tools/bmad-method.md) - An open-source context-engineering framework (installed via npx bmad-method install) that ships expert sub-agent personas (analyst, PM, architect, scrum master, dev, QA) as markdown prompts driving separate greenfield and brownfield planning and development workflows.

## Sources

- [Every RAG Strategy Explained in 13 Minutes](../sources/every-rag-strategy-explained-in-13-minutes-no-fluff.md) - "[0:00:54] usually the optimal solution is going to combine around three to five rag strategies"
- [Every RAG Strategy Explained in 13 Minutes](../sources/every-rag-strategy-explained-in-13-minutes-no-fluff.md) - "[0:12:24] I would look at reranking agentic rag and context-aware chunking. Like specifically hybrid rag with Docling has been killing it for me."
- [The EASIEST Possible Strategy for Accurate RAG](../sources/the-easiest-possible-strategy-for-accurate-rag-step-by-step-guide.md) - "[0:03:37] When we have all of these strategies combined together... we see the failure rate go from 10% all the way down to less than 3%"
- [The EASIEST Possible Strategy for Accurate RAG](../sources/the-easiest-possible-strategy-for-accurate-rag-step-by-step-guide.md) - "[0:25:36] I took contextual retrieval and I combined it with query expansion and agentic rag. So creating a more powerful system combining multiple strategies together"
- [Archon Beta Launch Livestream - What You Missed!](../sources/archon-beta-launch-livestream-what-you-missed.md) - "[0:35:30] I'm going to take the spec the PRD that we generated with BMAD and I'm going to turn that into a PRP so we can just start implementing it with all the tasks that we have in Archon"
- [The 3 MUST Have MCP Servers for Any AI Coding](../sources/the-3-must-have-mcp-servers-for-any-ai-coding-and-how-to-use-them.md) - "[0:14:07] a lot of times the knowledge base will give you here's how to use this specific library but then the brave search can tell you how to use these libraries together."
- [INSANE New Strategy for Building AI Agent Apps](../sources/insane-new-strategy-for-building-ai-agent-apps.md) - "[0:26:16] using them in tandem gives you the Perfect Blend of free flexible and fast really I use this process for building all of my front ends"
- [I'm Addicted to Windsurf, Send Help](../sources/im-addicted-to-windsurf-send-help.md) - "[0:04:44] I'll build it out in Auto Dev or bolt... work on it until it gets stuck... then I'll export it bring it into Windsurf add in the finishing touches"
- [Build a FULL Stack App for your n8n AI Agent in 20 Minutes](../sources/build-a-full-stack-app-for-your-n8n-ai-agent-in-20-minutes.md) - "[0:01:35] we tie it all together with Supabase for easy authentication and there's a good chance that you're already using Supabase for your an agents anyway"
- [V0 + Claude: A GAME CHANGER for Building AI Apps](../sources/v0-claude-a-game-changer-for-building-ai-apps.md) - "[0:12:50] instead of going back to v0 which might work I'm going to go to Claude because with the little details like this that's where Claude really really shines"
