Quick Reference: Model Family Cheat Sheet
Recall the practical differences between flagship, workhorse, and fast-volume model families.
When does a flagship model family usually earn its cost? When the task is high consequence, deeply ambiguous, or long-horizon enough that stronger reasoning reduces hidden failure and review burden. Think contract reasoning, multi-source synthesis, or complex agentic coding, not routine formatting or bulk labeling. Workhorse lane vs fast-volume lane Both can be "cheaper than premium," but they solve different problems. If the task still needs synthesis and judgment, stay with the workhorse lane. If it is repetitive and checkable, the fast-volume lane often wins. Objection handling “If the premium lane is smartest, why not standardize on it?” A stakeholder…
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