👋 From Dave

Here’s my take, contractor‑first and no fluff , what these agents can do for you now, and what to watch out for.

🤔 What’s an AI Agent Again?

Traditional chatbots answer your questions.
An AI agent takes your goal, plans the steps, executes the work, and reports back like a junior assistant that doesn’t sleep but still needs watching.

Here are four top agents, what they actually do, and how you could use them in your business today.

🚀 The Big 4 Agents — What They Do for You

1️⃣ Runner H — The Workflow Wizard

🔗 runner-h on hcompany.ai

✅ Best for: Teams with a tech‑savvy person ready to build automations.

Real‑World Uses:

• Auto‑fill & submit insurance claims with client data.

• Manage inspection scheduling across calendars.

• Scrape supplier & subcontractor pricing into Google Sheets for quotes.

Notes:

Runner H breaks your request into smaller “mini‑agents” and orchestrates them.
Connects to apps like Slack, Notion, Sheets, and Zapier.
⚠️ Still early, expect to tweak workflows and keep an eye on it.

2️⃣ Google’s Mariner — The Browser Hero

🔗 Project Mariner (DeepMind)

✅ Best for: Contractors already deep in Gmail, Drive, and Chrome.
✅ Availability: Currently in the U.S. for Google AI Ultra subscribers.

Real‑World Uses:

• Auto‑fill permit forms on your county or state site.

• Book temporary housing for clients by scanning your emails & Drive.

• Research & hire subcontractors via web automation.

Notes:

Runs inside Chrome, watches you complete a task once, then repeats it.
⚠️ Still in testing, keep it supervised.

3️⃣ Manus AI — The Background Expert

🔗 manus.im

✅ Best for: Heavy research, report writing, and analysis.
✅ Status: Public release, no longer in beta.

Real‑World Uses:

• Turn inspection photos + notes into clean PDF reports.

• Draft scope‑of‑work proposals for clients & adjusters.

• Analyze weather or material price trends to plan jobs.

Notes:

Works in the cloud while you keep crews moving.
Transparent interface shows its progress.
⚠️ Still needs proofreading before sending to clients.

4️⃣ OpenAI’s ChatGPT Agent — The All‑Rounder

🔗 Introducing ChatGPT Agent

✅ Best for: Contractors already using ChatGPT who want more.
✅ Availability: Rolling out now to Pro, Plus, and Team subscribers.

Real‑World Uses:

• Summarize inbox leads and flag high‑priority clients.

• Draft proposals using details from your Calendar & Docs.

• Research material prices and even help reserve supplies.

Notes:

Feels like ChatGPT but with more tools, it can browse, click, and run code.
Pauses to ask before emailing or buying anything.
⚠️ OpenAI calls it “experimental”, keep it on a short leash for now.

🪚 Why Not Just Pick One?

Reality check: none of these are perfect yet.
Even the best ones fail ~30% of the time on complex tasks.
They loop, click wrong links, or freeze up.

Start small and supervised, like:
✅ Drafting emails.
✅ Filling forms.
✅ Summarizing notes or supplier prices.

Treat it like an intern, helpful but still learning.

🔗 Quick Links

📌 My Top Picks

• Already use ChatGPT? Start with ChatGPT Agent.

• Tech‑savvy or have a tech lead? Try Runner H or Manus AI.

• All‑in on Google? Watch for Mariner when it opens more widely.

If you want help picking one or walking through a setup, just hit reply, Will and I are happy to talk through it with you.

🔧 Tech Corner: For the Tinkerers

If you (or someone on your team) likes to build your own tools, here are some DIY options.
These give you more control and let you tailor the experience but they take time, patience, and some coding skills.

🛠️ Agent Frameworks

• LangChain – langchain.com
  Build custom AI apps and agents by chaining models, memory, and tools.

• AutoGen – GitHub
  Create multi‑agent teams that collaborate and complete tasks.

• CrewAI – crewai.io
  Set up a “crew” of agents with defined roles and skills.

• LangFlow – GitHub
  Visual drag‑and‑drop interface for building LangChain workflows.

• AutoGPT – GitHub
  The original autonomous agent project, good for experiments.

🔗 Automation Platforms (No Code)

These don’t “think” like agents, but they let you connect apps and automate repetitive tasks fast.

• n8n – n8n.io
  Open‑source workflow automation.

• Make.com – make.com
  Beginner‑friendly, visual automation.

• Zapier – zapier.com
  Easiest to use and connects thousands of apps.

👨‍🏫 When to Use These?

✅ When you care about keeping data in‑house.
✅ When you want something tailored.
✅ When you have someone comfortable with Python, APIs, or no‑code tools.

If you want help deciding if DIY is right for your business, just reach out, Will and I can point you in the right direction.