# model ladder

Every delegated task names the cheapest model that will do it well — free local for mechanical legs, paid tiers only where reasoning earns it.

## What it is
A standing rule that no delegated task silently inherits the expensive session model. Every subagent call names a model, chosen as the cheapest that will do the job well: a free local model for mechanical legs, a mid-tier for standard engineering, the top tier only for planning, judging, and synthesis.

## Why
Defaulting every task to the top-tier model burns budget with no quality gain on bounded work. Picking the rung per task keeps the expensive models for the judgment calls that actually need them.

## How Andrew uses it
The ladder runs bottom-up: could the free local model do this leg? If yes and I used a paid one anyway, that's a leak. Fan-outs multiply cost by the number of agents, so the discipline matters most exactly where it's most tempting to skip.

## How to get it
The whole method is downloadable and adaptable — `method/steps/model-ladder.md` inside the zip. The local rung is any capable open-weight coder served on your own machine; the practice transfers to whatever tiers you have.

_Distilled from: ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md § Subagent & workflow model economy_
