Managing AI Investments in the Agentic Era

Enterprises are diving headfirst into the agentic era, where AI agents handle complex workflows. But how do you ensure your investment isn’t just floating in a swamp? The key is measuring useful work per dollar—a metric that separates the capybaras from the caimans.

Why Useful Work per Dollar Matters

In the old days, you’d track compute hours or API calls. But agents are different: they chain tasks, make decisions, and sometimes loop. Instead of counting tokens, focus on output that actually moves the needle. Think of it like clearing a channel—you want the water to flow, not just splash.

Improving Efficiency

To get more useful work per dollar, optimize your agent’s architecture. Use caching, batching, and smarter prompt design. For example, Vercel can help deploy serverless functions that scale down to zero, while Supabase offers real-time data without the overhead. Even small tweaks can turn a sluggish stream into a swift current.

Scaling High-Value Workflows

Not all workflows are created equal. Identify the ones that deliver the biggest impact—like customer support triage or code review—and scale them first. Use Cloudflare Workers for edge computing or Neon for serverless Postgres. Remember, you don’t need to drain the whole swamp; just the parts that matter.

For a deeper dive into cost comparisons, check out our model pricing guide. And if you’re building agents, Windmill can help orchestrate them without the bloat.

Original announcement published on OpenAI.