# Getting over the bonelessness of agents 06/09/26 Getting comfortable in the emerging “agent” zeitgeist is not easy. That word, specifically, _feels_ like bullshit—AI broadly is beyond denial at this point—but the plastering of the word “agent” on every billboard and bus (granted, maybe just in SF) really makes one wonder what, specifically, is being described.  Like: this much for a Telegram bot pointing to a Claude Code instance running on a Railway server? I *have* one of those bots, and some of the others. But I say this having decided to bet the next chapter of my career on “agents.” In the process of my recruitment, I could only repeatedly ask what anyone really meant by “agent” in the first place, and how it made any sense to build _so much_ around something so indeterminate (or if not indeterminate, so presently inconsequential). I followed my gut—these are smart people and there’s definitely serious *energy* here, and I can’t shake the feeling that they’re onto something—but I couldn’t say I fully *got* it even as I signed the offer. ![[IMG_5262.jpeg|My first personal agent.]] Why the new word? It’s just AI, right? AI that does things is still, just, AI, I’d think. Still, a few months into both my move to SF and the start of the job, I’ve come around (with zeal!) to the fact that there’s a “there,” there with agents as a distinct phenomenon. I’m writing this to: - crystallize what I think we’re talking about - figure out why it all feels so weird - diagnose how someone like me could miss the forest for the trees ## People don’t “do” a whole lot more than their jobs I hate indulging a take this cynical sounding; but I think the underlying point Nikita was making 6 years ago with this is reliably true.  Most people are not some master doers, orchestrating their lives around some plan or vision for themselves. Life — for many happy people — is spending 40+ hours a week on one’s occupation, and the remainder on time with family, friends, and entertainment. The venue where people “do” most of what they will “do” is their work, and that’s fine. The problem is that then: agents—“doers” on tap—are basically just a B2B SaaS tool. Having worked at a corporate card, I’m well aware that by default that inspires little excitement but for people who are deeply busy in their work. Most people wouldn’t know what to do with an actual personal assistant or even secretary. The best most people could muster is to train an underling to do their own job. Claude Code for programmers, Ramp for accountants, and the rest for the rest. Really smart, productive, software — yes. Tens or hundreds of me running around, coordinating some grand initiative as if they were a company of their own? Much harder to imagine if I’m not someone that could have mustered such a company with actual humans in the first place, or at least run a team.