The Agency is a multi-agent runtime where every AI agent has a role, a manager, and rules of engagement — just like a real team. Install it, hire your first agent, and ship.
How It Works
Go from zero to a coordinated AI team in under a minute. No YAML graphs, no prompt chains — just hire and delegate.
Add The Agency to any project. One command bootstraps skills, comms, and your first agent — no config files to learn.
$ pip install the-agency-cli
Bootstrap the full studio in one shot. Pick your permission mode, and a chief agent spawns ready to hire the team.
$ agency start
Attach to your chief and tell them what to build. They'll hire the right people, scope the work, and ship it — you just review.
$ screen -r agency
Why The Agency
Most multi-agent frameworks wire agents into a graph and hope for the best. The Agency gives agents structure, accountability, and real collaboration.
| Feature | The Agency | CrewAI | AutoGen | MetaGPT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agent identity & org chart | ✓ Named roles, hierarchy, managers | ~ Role strings only | — No structure | ~ SOP roles |
| Permission manifests (RoE) | ✓ Per-agent allowlists | — | — | — |
| Persistent message bus | ✓ GitHub/GitLab Issues | — In-memory | ~ Chat threads | — Shared memory |
| Human-auditable handoffs | ✓ Signed authorship + JSON packets | — | — | ~ Logs |
| Works with existing tools | ✓ git, gh, screen/tmux | ~ Custom tools | ~ Custom tools | ~ Custom tools |
| Multi-model support | ✓ Pick model per hire | ✓ | ✓ | ~ GPT-focused |
| No framework lock-in | ✓ Plain files, standard CLI | — Python SDK | — Python SDK | — Python SDK |
IT Blueprint
Seven roles, clear hierarchy, defined responsibilities. Every agent knows who they report to and what they're allowed to do.
Get Started
Install the CLI, hire a chief, and start shipping with your AI team.