Cheapest Reliable Executor Wins

A request escalates tier by tier — deterministic rules (zero cost), then graduated agents for the novel long tail, then a human gate for any mutating action — each tier passing on only what it can't handle

Cheapest Reliable Executor Wins A request escalates tier by tier — deterministic rules (zero cost), then graduated agents for the novel long tail, then a human gate for any mutating action — each tier passing on only what it can't handle 01 / Intake 02 / Tier 1 — Rules 03 / Tier 2 — Agents 04 / Tier 3 — Human Request · incoming task · Intake Request incoming task Rules · zero cost · Tier 1 — Rules · cheapest Rules zero cost cheapest Agents · novel long tail · Tier 2 — Agents Agents novel long tail Human Gate · mutating action · Tier 3 — Human · commit gate Human Gate mutating action commit gate Legend User UI Agent logic Policy Tool action Context / trace

Escalation Order

  • • Try the cheapest reliable tier first
  • • Rules resolve the common case at zero cost
  • • Each tier passes on only what it can't handle

Guardrail

  • • Only the long tail reaches the agents
  • • Any mutating action needs the human gate
  • • Cost rises only when reliability demands it

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