Reading path4 stops9 stepsAbout 15 minutes of reading
Putting an AI agent into productionwhat to read before the first call.
Four stops for leaders deciding whether and how to put an AI agent to work: when an agent is the right tool, how we choose models and test them before launch, what agents we run in production, and the questions to ask before you sign.
Stop 1
The problemDo we need an agent at all?
When a simple workflow is enough and when an agent earns its cost.
Stop 2
How we workHow do we keep it accurate and affordable?
Model choice by task, cost per task, and testing before anything ships.
- 03Buyer guide · 7 minAI model cost vs. performance reportBenchmarks showing how matching the model to the task cuts cost without losing quality.Read →
- 04ArticleChoosing the Right Model (and Knowing When to Switch)How we pick a model for each job, and when we switch.Read →
- 05ArticleEvaluation Before Shipping: How to Test an AI Application Before It Hits ProductionThe evaluation suite every agent passes before it reaches a customer.Read →
Stop 3
ProofDo they run agents in production?
Agents we built and run, and the architecture behind them.
- 06Case study24/7 AI Phone CoverageA phone agent that answers every call, day and night.Read →
- 07Case studyAI-Powered IntakeAn intake agent that is available around the clock for a national veteran services organization.Read →
- 08ArticleBuilding Production AI Agents for Lead IntelligenceThe architecture of a production agent, layer by layer.Read →
Stop 4
Before you signWhat should I ask any partner?
The questions to put to anyone building an agent for you.
Next
Seen enough?A senior principal takes the first call.
Keep reading
Related reading
- Guide
Seven questions to ask before you sign
Seven questions that show whether a delivery partner is set up to protect your launch. Ask every vendor, including us. Written for buyers who need to defend the choice to a CEO or a board.
Read → - Guide
AI model cost vs. performance report
The most expensive model is rarely the right one. Benchmark scores against real cost per task, which model fits which job, and how open-weight models served from US providers change the math.
Read → - Industry Report
The State of E-Commerce, Mid-2026
A mid-2026 industry report on where e-commerce actually stands: the real cost of replatforming, why look and feel still sells but no longer closes, and what the agentic shopping surge means for merchants. AI-referred retail traffic grew 393% year over year in Q1 and now converts 42% better than other channels. The highest-ROI investment in retail right now is not a new storefront. It is making the storefront you have legible to machines.
Read → - Talk · STRIVE Forum
Choose the right AI tool.
Part 2 of the STRIVE Forum AI miniseries. A 90-minute hands-on workshop for small business owners choosing between the dozen AI tools landing in their inbox every week. Two short concept blocks, two embedded labs, and a four-question rubric to grade any AI output before sending it.
Read → - Operating Model
The AI Agent Maturity Model
Five levels, seven capability axes, and the four numbers your CFO will ask. The honest picture of what it takes to run AI agents in production, and how most teams overrate themselves by 1.5 levels.
Read → - Whitepaper
Starting AI Adoption: A Sequence for Mid-Market Engineering Teams
The order of operations we use with mid-market engineering teams that have been told to ship AI and do not know where to start. Six stages, named exit criteria, the anti-patterns that predict failure, and the first-90-days view that ties architecture, evaluation, and model economics into a coherent adoption sequence.
Read →
Practices
Where this leads
- AI agentsAI agents
Voice and intake agents that run in production: they answer the phone, book meetings, and hand off to your team.
Book a call →