Loops vs. Graphs: the loop lives inside a node, the graph lives between them

Roger_M_Taylor · x · 2026-09-18

A clear mental model for the Loop vs. Graph debate in agent engineering:

A loop is a gear: it produces, checks, and corrects. But the ceiling is visible — six turns or six hundred, you still have one job done well; the gear touches nothing beyond itself.
Graph engineering moves the decision up a layer: what matters is not how well one gear turns, but what it meshes into — splitting, fanning out, merging, gating, and sending work back between units.
The resolving sentence: the loop lives inside a node; the graph lives between them.
Evolution path: Prompts → Context → Harness → Loops → Graphs. Building a graph doesn't remove loops — they sink into each node, with three loops turning on three things you care about.

The author also links a full course on stopping babysitting agents and approving only the last step.

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