I am getting disproportionately good results with the models by following a process: spec -> plan -> critique -> improve plan -> implement plan.
Can you give a little more detail how you execute these steps? Is there a specific tool you use, or is it simply different kinds of prompts?
similar approach
If I may "yes, and" this: spec → plan → critique → improve plan → implement plan → code review
It may sound absurd to review an implementation with the same model you used to write it, but it works extremely well. You can optionally crank the "effort" knob (if your model has one) to "max" for the code review.