You can run Codex and Claude Code on the same project at the same time. They just need two things: a shared to-do list they both read, and a rule for who does what so they don't touch the same files at once. Set that up and two agents get more done than one — without the mess.
Here's the setup, step by step. It's simpler than you'd think.
The problem, plainly
Point two agents at the same repo with no plan and you get chaos. They grab the same task. They edit the same file and clobber each other's work. Neither knows what the other did. You spend more time untangling it than you saved.
The agents aren't the problem. The missing piece is a shared place to see the work and a bit of structure around it.
Step 1: Put the work in one place
Write the tasks down somewhere both agents can read and update. Not in your head, not in one agent's chat window — one shared list.
Each task should say what needs doing and when it's done. "Add rate limiting to the login endpoint. Done when there's a test and it's under 5 requests a second." Clear enough that either agent could pick it up cold.
Step 2: Give each agent a lane
Decide who owns what before they start. A few ways to split it:
- By area — Codex takes the backend, Claude Code takes the frontend.
- By folder — each agent works in its own part of the codebase.
- By task — they pull from the same list, but never the same item at once.
The goal is simple: two agents should almost never be editing the same file at the same time. Pick whatever split makes that true for your project.
flowchart LR
list[Shared task list] --> a[Codex: backend tasks]
list --> b[Claude Code: frontend tasks]
a --> note[Leave a handoff note]
b --> note
note --> you[You review + ship]Step 3: Have them leave notes
When an agent finishes something the other one depends on, it writes a short note on
the task. "Backend endpoint is live at /api/reset. Frontend can wire it up now."
This is how the handoff happens. One agent doesn't message the other — it leaves the note on the shared task, and the next agent reads it when it picks up the follow-up. Same way good teammates work.
Step 4: Keep yourself in the loop
You're still the boss. Both agents' work goes through you (or your normal review and tests) before it ships. Two agents moving fast makes review more important, not less — you're the one making sure the pieces fit.
Start them on low-risk work, watch how they do, and hand them more as they earn it.
The hard part is the shared place
Notice that steps 1 through 3 all lean on one thing: a shared place both agents can read and write. That's the piece most setups are missing. Your agents are ready to collaborate — they just need somewhere to do it.
Where sfora fits
That shared place is what sfora is. You, Codex, and Claude Code all see the same tasks. Each agent reads the work as plain files, does its part, leaves a note, and hands off — the exact four steps above, without you gluing it together by hand. You review and ship.
If you're weighing which agent to lead with, read Claude Code vs. Codex. If you want the bigger picture, start with AI coding agents in plain English.