Swarm Loop · Stage 2 of 8
Plan Stage
Break the mission into an ordered set of steps.
What the Plan Stage Does
Plan converts the mission into a structured set of tasks, dependencies, and fallbacks. It decides what has to happen, in what order, and what to do when a step fails.
Why It Matters
Coordination starts here. A good plan is what lets many agents work in parallel without colliding, and it gives governance and memory something concrete to reason about.
Flow
Inputs and Outputs
Inputs
- The defined mission and success criteria
- Available agents, tools, and workflows
- Lessons from similar past missions
- Time, cost, and policy constraints
Outputs
- An ordered task breakdown
- Dependencies between tasks
- Fallback strategies
- An allocation of work to roles
Example
What It Looks Like in Practice
For the feature launch, Plan splits the work into copywriting, design, scheduling, and analytics tracks, sets their dependencies, and defines a fallback if the design track runs late.
Common Failure Modes
When this stage breaks
- Plans too rigid to adapt
- No fallback when a step fails
- Dependencies left implicit
- Over-planning work that should just run
Who Runs It
Agents Active in This Stage
Turns goals into plans
Planner Agent
Converts goals into executable plans, selects strategies, defines workflows, and adapts when conditions change.
Orchestrates execution
Manager Agent
Orchestrates execution across specialized agents, manages dependencies, tracks progress, and ensures objectives are completed.
See It in Action
Explore an illustrative mission in the simulator, or use the readiness assessment for a directional, self-reported profile.