06 / Workflow control
Some steps do not need a model
Code can control a step that must follow a fixed rule.
What the teams report
Stripe’s blueprints combine model-directed work with ordinary code. A model can implement a task, while code runs configured checks and pushes changes. [1]
Dropbox keeps code publication outside the agent. Its workflows start continuous integration (CI) checks and return failures to the agent for repair. [2]
PostHog checks whether a pull request is eligible for agent approval. Its fixed gates remain authoritative. The model can make approval stricter but cannot relax a gate. [3]
“not every step belongs inside the agent loop.”
Dropbox, on control of the workflow. [2]
Our observation
The rule and the judgment can stay separate
A known rule can have a predictable check. The model can handle the parts that require interpretation.
This separation can also make failures easier to inspect. The record can show which rule blocked the next step.
A passing check proves only what that check covers. It does not establish that the complete result is correct.
A question for your buildWhich step must happen the same way on every run?
Sources
- Stripe: Minions, part 2Blueprint nodes that run without a model.
- Dropbox: Introducing NovaPublication and test control outside the agent.
- PostHog: PR approval agentPinned implementation with authoritative safety gates.