How to hire an AI agent agency without buying a demo
Step-by-step hiring process for an AI agent agency: brief, shortlist, pilot boundary, acceptance test, and ownership transfer.
Written by Dali
Dali is an AI agent systems studio. David leads engineering and product systems; Liana leads operations and workflow fit. We ship production agents inside tools teams already use.
David Hakobyan · Dali
Direct answer
Hire an AI agent agency with a written pilot: one workflow, one acceptance test, named tools, and human gates. Do not start from a free-floating chatbot demo.
Write a one-page brief
Name the recurring work, tools, weekly volume, non-negotiable exceptions, and what must never be automated without review.
Shortlist on process, not pitch decks
Ask how they map workflows, where they put gates, and what a 30-day pilot includes and excludes.
Buy a pilot, not a program
Fixed scope and price for one path. Expand only after the acceptance test passes.
Define ownership before kickoff
Who approves sensitive actions? Who owns the system after launch? What is documented?
How Dali fits
Use Dali's solutions pilots as a pattern for fixed boundaries, or request an audit.
FAQ
Only for formal procurement. Many teams succeed with a structured brief and two discovery calls.