
Most “AI agents” in 2026 still die at the orchestration layer. Here’s the 5-layer stack that actually ships: 1. Planner (goal → sub-tasks) 2. Tool router (API / code / browser / wallet) 3. Memory + state (short + long + shared) 4. Critic / verifier loop 5. Settlement + identity (who pays, who is trusted) Skip layer 4 or 5 and you get demos, not production. Which layer is your team still faking with prompts? Drop the exact failure mode below, I’ll reply with the cheapest fix I’ve seen work.
