Three streams#
Three streams, one enhanced, two new to fit the agentic world:
Agile
Augmenting humans with AI. Great for complex, long-running work where design and iteration is as human-intensive as the build.
Frontier Development
Human-led, 100% AI-developed. Great for high-judgement, ad-hoc work, where ROIC exists but is less than the effort to run through Agile. Focus on improving employee and customer experience.
AI Organisations
100% AI org chart. Work orders created by humans, observed by humans, reviewed by humans. Great for highly repetitive, predictable tasks with a tried and tested run book.
Agile Large, complex, long-running work Frontier Development High-judgment, ad hoc work AI Organisations Repetitive, predictable work WORK TYPE Human-intensive on design and build
Complex epics, architectural work, deep CX iteration
High-judgment, ad hoc
Small scope, high value-to-effort gap — the work that can't justify a backlog slot
Highly repetitive, predictable
Maintenance-class: upgrades, patching, routine operations
TEAM MODEL Full delivery team
Tech Lead · Business Analyst · Project Manager · Engineers
The Bubble
Engineering Lead · Skilled Engineer · Agentic Workforce
Agentic org chart
Parallel agents · Human observers · Human reviewers
HUMAN ROLE Design · iterate · build
AI is accelerant and pair programmer
Intent · trade-offs · quality · safety
AI executes against the plan
Reviews output · Sets WIP limits
Sets entry points and org hierarchy
AI ROLE Accelerant
Pair programmer · test generation · review
Primary executor
Builds against Execution Plan and Production Plan
Executes org hierarchy
Parallel agents with restricted WIP
WHEN TO USE Complex, long-running work
Needs full team, dedicated PM/BA, or extended CX iteration
Can't win a backlog slot
Time-sensitive, high-value, ad-hoc work that would otherwise not get done
Predictable, routine work
Upgrades, patching, anything well-defined enough to hand to an agent org
CADENCE Sprint-based
2-week cycles, backlog-driven
Burst-based
Days to a week, then done — no residue
Continuous
Always-on, trigger or schedule driven
These streams are parallel, not competing. A single organisation may run all three. A B C D E F G 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Agile Large, complex, long-running work Frontier Development High-judgment, ad hoc work AI Organisations Repetitive, predictable work WORK TYPE Human-intensive on design and build
Complex epics, architectural work, deep CX iteration
High-judgment, ad hoc
Small scope, high value-to-effort gap — the work that can't justify a backlog slot
Highly repetitive, predictable
Maintenance-class: upgrades, patching, routine operations
TEAM MODEL Full delivery team
Tech Lead · Business Analyst · Project Manager · Engineers
The Bubble
Engineering Lead · Skilled Engineer · Agentic Workforce
Agentic org chart
Parallel agents · Human observers · Human reviewers
HUMAN ROLE Design · iterate · build
AI is accelerant and pair programmer
Intent · trade-offs · quality · safety
AI executes against the plan
Reviews output · Sets WIP limits
Sets entry points and org hierarchy
AI ROLE Accelerant
Pair programmer · test generation · review
Primary executor
Builds against Execution Plan and Production Plan
Executes org hierarchy
Parallel agents with restricted WIP
WHEN TO USE Complex, long-running work
Needs full team, dedicated PM/BA, or extended CX iteration
Can't win a backlog slot
Time-sensitive, high-value, ad-hoc work that would otherwise not get done
Predictable, routine work
Upgrades, patching, anything well-defined enough to hand to an agent org
CADENCE Sprint-based
2-week cycles, backlog-driven
Burst-based
Days to a week, then done — no residue
Continuous
Always-on, trigger or schedule driven
These streams are parallel, not competing. A single organisation may run all three. A B C D E F G 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13