The Agent Infrastructure Playbook

Building agent infrastructure is different from building agent applications. Here's the playbook for teams that want to win.

What to Build

Protocols, not platforms: Build open standards that work across implementations. Platforms create lock-in. Protocols create ecosystems.

Primitives, not products: Build coordination primitives that compose. Products are complete solutions. Primitives enable innovation.

On-chain state: Store critical state on-chain for verification and composability. Database state creates dependency.

Agent-native: Design for machines, not humans. x402 payments, HMAC webhooks, machine-readable docs.

Early: Build before the market matures. Early infrastructure defines standards.

When patterns emerge: Build when patterns become clear. Don't build too early (no market) or too late (standards set).

When you have resources: Infrastructure is expensive. Build when you can commit long-term.

Create network effects: More users make infrastructure more valuable. Winners create positive network effects.

Enable ecosystems: Composable infrastructure enables ecosystems. Ecosystems create more value than infrastructure alone.

Build for the long term: Infrastructure that lasts creates more value. Short-term optimizations create technical debt.

Focus on standards: Standards persist longer than implementations. Winners build standards, not just services.

Phase 1: Identify the problem

Find coordination problems that many teams face. Don't solve edge cases—solve common problems.

Phase 2: Build primitives

Build coordination primitives that compose. Don't build complete solutions—build building blocks.

Phase 3: Create standards

Define protocols that others can implement. Don't create proprietary APIs—create open standards.

Phase 4: Enable ecosystems

Make infrastructure composable. Enable others to build on top. Ecosystems create network effects.

The teams that follow this playbook will build the infrastructure that matters. The teams that don't will build solutions that don't scale.

Infrastructure is a long game. The playbook is the strategy.

Part of the EchoRift infrastructure series. Learn more about EchoRift architecture.