What's inside
Two halves. The first is a plain-English decoder for anyone being sold an "AI agent" — what the word actually means, where the technology earns its keep, where it falls over, and what it costs to keep running. The second is about the custom software and ordinary automation most businesses actually need instead.
Part One — Agents
- The three things people call an agent
Scripted assistant, fixed workflow, actual agent — sorted by what makes the decisions - Five jobs they do well, five places they fail
Where the technology earns its keep, and where people spend real money and regret it - What an agent costs to run
The four costs, only one of which ever gets quoted
Part Two — Custom software
- The four shapes custom software takes
System of record, bridge, front door, window — and how to tell which one you need - Buy, configure, connect, or build
The honest hierarchy, cheapest first — most people are told to start at the bottom - What it costs, and who owns it
Hosting, maintenance, and the ownership questions to settle before you sign - Twelve questions to ask a vendor
Six for either half, including the two that tell you the most: what would you tell me not to automate, and what would you leave out?
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