Oil painting: Ancient Greece Olympic games where philosophers use a drone, an ATM, a PC, and a game console. A pink octopus in a laurel wreath, the Squid Club mascot, hides in plain sight.

The Missing Phase: Why AI Agents Fail Before They Start

Most companies jump straight to building agents. But there's an entire phase that has to come first — and skipping it is why your first demo ends with "it's not mature yet."

Sahar Carmel

May 21, 2026 · 11 min read

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