The Agent Builder Margin Curve: Why Workflow Ownership Beats Shell Resale

Agent builders shift agency economics only when the agent is wrapped in a workflow the agency owns: integration, governance, testing, and reporting. Selling the shell alone invites price comparison against every white-label competitor, while owning the workflow around it converts a one-off build into a retainer. The current market punishes shallow deployments: agent-generated insight rarely converts to action, and vendors still control metering and access.