Debug Multi-Agent Workflows: Permissions, Handoffs and Channels Beat Model Blame

Al_Grigor · x · 2026-10-13

Lessons from a live Switch workshop on why multi-agent workflows stall — usually not the model, but the wiring between agents:

Permissions: a coder agent that only accepts its owner's messages silently blocks the lead agent's assignments. Fix: let anyone message it.
Missing handoff: the coder finished but never told the lead, so the review never kicked off. Fix: one line in the coder's instructions — always report back to the lead.
Wrong channel: an interrupted agent resumed and replied inside its own session instead of the room. Fix: instruct it to reply in the room.
Effort setting: high reasoning effort gets wasted on coordination work.

Check who can message whom, whether every agent reports back, and where replies go before blaming the model. Workshop recording linked.

More from coding & agent