Click the X post and skim the three labels (3 minutes, tops). Then open any chat tool and paste: 'I need a weekly status email. Is that one-shot chat, tool-agent, or multi-step — and why — in 2 sentences.' You're done when you've picked the lightest mode that gets the job done.
How-to · SEL · SEL.2
X snack: prompt vs tool-agent vs multi-step — pick the mode
Separate one-shot chat, a tool-using agent product, and multi-step modes so you pick the lightest tool that still finishes the job.
Worked example
Here's some feed gold: three layers people constantly mix up when shopping for AI tools. Layer one: one prompt, one reply. Layer two, tool-agent: one job, some tools, and a human gate. Layer three, multi-step mode: a plan or loop with a stop built in. Most daily work only needs layer one — add tools when plain chat can't cut it. And send is always a human call.