The debate between Agents and Workflows is getting louder. Some say Agents are just hype — less efficient and less reliable than traditional workflows. Others believe Agents are what AI products were always meant to be.
But the real question isn’t about technology. It’s about something more basic:
Who’s paying, and why?
1. Technically, They’re Converging
Most workflow tools today — like n8n or Make — already integrate LLM nodes. They can reason, remember, and call tools. Add an LLM to a workflow, and what you get is essentially an Agent with structural constraints.
- Workflows are rule-based and predictable. Great for stable, controllable tasks.
- Agents are looser, adaptive. They’re better for open-ended or messy tasks.
From a technical standpoint, the line between the two is getting blurry.
2. But You’re Not Selling Tech—You’re Selling to People
When someone pays for a product, they’re not buying the code. They’re buying an outcome.
Different users define a “good product” differently:
For business buyers:
- They don’t buy tools. They buy results.
- Can this reduce headcount? Save money?
- And if it breaks—who’s responsible?
For individual users:
- They don’t want to configure things. They want things to work.
- Today it’s writing copy. Tomorrow, analyzing data. The next day, replying to emails.
- If it takes more than one sentence to get what they want, that’s too much.
Agents win not because they’re faster. They win because they feel like the future. Especially for consumer-facing products.
3. The Market Has Already Split Into Three Layers
Here’s what we’re seeing in the wild:
- Tooling Layer – Developers who use tools like n8n, Make, or RPA to build systems.
- Service Layer – Freelancers or indie builders who use tools to deliver results to businesses.
- End User Layer – Regular users who just want things to work out of the box, no learning curve.
Each layer has totally different expectations for what a product should do.
4. The Missing Layer Is the Real Opportunity
Agents and workflows aren’t competing technologies. They’re answers to different purchase logics.
The real opportunity lies in the middle—in the matching layer:
- Use workflows to guarantee consistency and outcomes.
- Use agents to provide a natural, conversational entry point.
- What you’re really selling is: the ease users want + the reliability businesses demand.
This matching layer could be tech. It could be services. Often, it’s just people.
5. It’s Not a Stack Fight—It’s a Mental Model Shift
Instead of arguing which is better — Agent or Workflow — ask this:
Who is your user, and why are they paying you?
- B2B buyers care about ROI, stability, and accountability.
- B2C users care about magic, delight, and zero setup.
Understanding this mental model matters far more than which stack you choose.
Agent and Workflow are just tools. Why people pay is the answer.
About Maybe
Maybe is an AI-powered platform that lets you turn any problem into a personalized AI assistant, without the need for any coding or workflow configuration. Create intelligent helpers in minutes through simple conversation. If you can describe your problem, you can build your solution.
Website: https://maybe.ai/
X: https://x.com/hey_maybe_ai
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