Agentic workflow

An agentic workflow is a process where an AI agent decides the steps itself rather than following a fixed script. You give it a goal and the tools to reach it; it plans, acts, checks the result, and adjusts, looping until the job is done. This is the difference between automation that runs the same path every time and an agent that reasons about what to do next.

For a founder, the distinction matters because it sets your expectations. A rigid automation is predictable and cheap but breaks the moment reality deviates. An agentic workflow handles messy, varied inputs, a research task, an inbox to triage, a report to compile, but costs more per run and needs guardrails so it doesn't wander. Use scripted automation for the boring repeatable parts and reserve agentic workflows for the genuinely judgement-heavy work that used to need a person.