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Agent vs Co-pilot Product Strategy
A framework for distinguishing between AI tools that assist with individual tasks (co-pilots) versus those that handle entire workflows end-to-end (agents)
How It Works
Co-pilots help with 1-2 steps in a process, while agents complete 90% of entire jobs autonomously, requiring only high-level direction and final review
Components
Identify complete user workflows
Determine automation percentage target
Build for end-to-end completion rather than step assistance
Focus on outcome delivery over process optimization
When to Use
When deciding product scope for AI tools - whether to build incremental assistance or comprehensive automation
When Not to Use
When users need granular control over every step, or when the domain is too complex for end-to-end automation
Anti-Patterns to Avoid
Example
“Instead of building a co-pilot that helps write Excel formulas, build an agent that takes a business request and delivers a complete financial model”