The agentic software stack has two loops: an inner loop of the coding agent harness and an outer loop of workflows, skills, sub-agents, MCP servers, and hooks. Workflows act as 'harness blueprints' that shape coding agent behavior at runtime, so deterministic enterprise delivery depends on controlling the outer loop, not just improving the model.
It relocates agency: deterministic product outcomes are engineered through externally governed workflow components rather than left to the agent's discretion. Engineers should architect both loops and treat the outer loop as the primary control surface.
Any agentic system intended for production needs a separation between the autonomous inner action loop and an outer loop of governed context, tools, and workflows that constrain and direct it.
The inner loop is the coding agent harness, and the outer loop comprises workflows, skills, sub-agents, MCP servers, and hooks.
Workflows act as harness blueprints that shape the behavior of coding agents in runtime.