The four-stage ramp for building an AI workforce from scratch

Rather than trying to design a full multi-agent workforce on day one, there's a natural progression. First, figure out what it feels like to work with a single agent. Second, experience what it's like when that one agent is acting proactively on your behalf — not just responding, but initiating. Third, try two agents working together, with one directing or routing to the other. Fourth, step back and ask what a full workforce looks like and how all the pieces interact. It's only after going through that sequence that you really understand how context gets passed between agents, which things need to run in parallel, which agents don't need heavy tools, and which can run on lighter models — not every task needs the most powerful model; most sub-agents can run on smaller, faster options.