WorkMay 28, 2026via Newcomer (VC)
‘Tokenmaxxing’ Starts to Fade as Companies Eye Agentic Coding Costs
Why it matters
The industry is moving past 'tokenmaxxing' (optimizing for token efficiency) toward agentic AI workflows, forcing enterprises to rethink how they measure AI ROI. This signals a strategic pivot in how Fortune 500 companies are allocating AI spend and evaluating success.
Key signals
- Salesforce and Uber investing heavily in agentic coding approaches
- Industry debate emerging on ROI measurement for agentic vs. token-optimized models
- Shift from token efficiency optimization to agentic workflow capabilities
- Enterprise decision-making moving toward agent-based AI deployment metrics
The hook
Nobody is talking about the shift away from token optimization. Salesforce and Uber are already betting on agentic coding—and the ROI math is completely different.
Salesforce & Uber are among those investing heavily. A fierce debate is roiling the industry on when & how to measure ROI.