Guide · made with Zapier
Should an AI workflow use more than one model? How to stay model-agnostic with Zapier
Yes. Build the workflow so the model can be swapped, and keep your data, tools, approvals, and business rules outside any one AI company.
The short answer
Yes, and the reason is simpler than it sounds. The best model keeps changing, so if your whole business runs on one model you are not building a system, you are placing a bet on one company's price, policies, performance, and access staying the same. The fix is to keep the workflow in a layer that is separate from the model. Nick builds his agents in Zapier so his data, tools, apps, approvals, and business rules live outside any one AI company's ecosystem, which means he can switch the model, test the agent again, compare the output, and keep going instead of rebuilding from scratch. He runs one agent on Claude today and can move it to GPT or Gemini tomorrow without touching the rest of the workflow.
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Step by step
Separate the workflow from the model ▶1:03
Decide up front that the model is one replaceable part, not the foundation. Nick builds through Zapier so his data, tools, apps, approvals, and business rules do not have to live inside any one AI company's ecosystem. Everything else stays put when the model changes.
Build one real workflow end to end ▶1:22
Start with something you actually do every week. Nick's agent reads the transcript of his latest podcast episode, helps him write an article based on what was said in the interview, and puts a draft together in his LinkedIn account. He makes a few edits so it sounds like him, then hits post.
Pick the model that fits the task today ▶1:48
Choose per task, not once for everything. Nick runs this one on Claude right now because he likes how Claude thinks through the research and the writing. Another task might belong on GPT or Gemini.
Swap the model and compare the output ▶2:06
When something new comes out, or gets cheaper or faster or more reliable, you switch the model, test the agent again, compare the output, and keep the system moving. You do not rebuild the whole workflow from scratch. That is the whole point of keeping the two layers apart.
Judge on reliability, not hype ▶2:17
In a real business, reliability matters much more than whatever is trending. Nick does not want his workflows trapped in one model. He wants to be able to say Claude is better for this task today, GPT is better for that one, and change his mind when that changes.
Put guardrails around what the agent can do ▶2:43
Do not let an agent randomly send emails, expose private information, edit client files, or make decisions without your approval. In Zapier, Nick builds workflows with permissions, approvals, and rules that limit what the agent is allowed to do. That is the line between playing with AI and using it inside a business you care about.
“If you build your entire business or workflow around one AI model, you're not really building a system.”
Nick Standlea, in the video
Key moments
Questions people ask
is it bad to build my whole AI workflow on one model
It is a bet more than a system. You are betting one company will always have the best model at the right price with the same policies, performance, and access, and never change any of it on you. Models, prices, terms, and performance all change, and sometimes access gets restricted. Build so the model can be swapped instead.
how do I switch AI models without rebuilding my workflow
Keep the workflow, data, tools, approvals, and rules in a layer outside the model. Nick uses Zapier for that, so when he wants a different model he switches it, tests the agent again, compares the output, and keeps the system moving. Nothing else in the workflow has to be rebuilt.
should I use Claude or GPT or Gemini for my AI agent
Pick per task rather than picking one forever. Nick runs his article agent on Claude right now because he likes how Claude thinks through research and writing, but he wants the freedom to say GPT is better for another task and Gemini for a third. If that changes next month, he changes with it.
how do I stop an AI agent from doing things without my approval
Put guardrails in the workflow itself. Nick does not want an agent randomly sending emails, exposing private information, editing client files, or making decisions without him. In Zapier he builds workflows with permissions, approvals, and rules about what the agent is allowed to do, and for his LinkedIn draft he still edits it himself before hitting post.
what is a good first AI agent to build for a business
Something repetitive you already do and can check before it ships. Nick's example takes the transcript of his latest podcast episode, drafts an article from what was discussed in the interview, and leaves it as a draft in his LinkedIn account. He edits it into his own voice and posts it, so the agent does the work and he keeps the judgment.
Zapier sponsored this video. Nick chose what to build and what to say.