# levie-building-trillions-agents-software-2026-03-07

## Veille

Building for trillions of agents: API-first software, agentic infrastructure, new software paradigm - X/Twitter

## Titre Article

Building for trillions of agents

## Date

2026-03-07

## URL

https://x.com/levie/status/2030714592238956960

## Keywords

AI agents, agentic infrastructure, API-first, software for agents, MCP, CLI, business models, sandbox, agent identity, governance, security, hyperscaler, Box, agentic commerce, microtransactions

## Authors

Aaron Levie

## Ton

Profile: visionary CEO perspective, strategic-forward-looking register, accessible yet ambitious level. Aaron Levie writes with the enthusiastic and assertive tone of a tech executive who sees a fundamental disruption underway. The style is structured as a long essay, with clear thematic sections, concrete company examples, and quotes from other leaders (Paul Graham, Jared Friedman, Aravind Srinivas). Authority comes from his position as CEO of Box and his direct experience in the API-first transformation. The tone alternates between factual observation of agent evolution and strategic prescription for the industry. Target audience: founders, tech executives, investors, software architects.

## Pense-betes

- Agents crossed a threshold in late 2025: they complete long tasks without constant supervision
- Agents now have their own sandbox compute environment, file system, long-term memory, API/CLI access
- Architecture first defined by coding agents (Claude Code, Devin, Codex, Factory, Cursor, Replit) then extended to knowledge work (Claude Cowork, Perplexity Computer, Manus, OpenClaw)
- OpenClaw: agent that runs 24/7 in its own persistent environment
- Prediction: every employee will have numerous agents, 100x to 1000x more agents than people within a company
- "Trillions of agents" will become the primary users of software
- New mantra: "Make something agents want" (adaptation of Paul Graham)
- Everything must become API-first: if a feature has no API, it does not exist for agents
- CLIs and MCP servers become indispensable
- Jared Friedman (YC): tools must allow sign-up via API, otherwise they are "dead to agents"
- Business models must evolve toward consumption/volume (no longer just seats)
- Agents will need: infrastructure (E2B, Daytona, Modal, Cloudflare), files (Box), identity (Agentmail), web search (Parallel, Exa), payments (Stripe, Coinbase)
- Security, compliance and governance become critical when agents handle sensitive data
- Agents will need their own identities to authenticate to services

## RésuméDe400mots

Aaron Levie, CEO of Box, publishes a strategic essay on the fundamental transformation of software in a world where AI agents become the primary users of every application. He observes that since late 2025, agents have crossed a decisive threshold: they now have their own sandboxed compute environment, can write and execute code, interact with APIs and CLIs, and manage their own files and long-term memory.

This architecture, initially defined by coding agents (Claude Code, Devin, Codex, Cursor, Replit), has extended to all knowledge work with agents such as Claude Cowork, Perplexity Computer, Manus and OpenClaw, the latter running 24/7 in a persistent environment. Levie predicts that every employee will have numerous agents, with 100 to 1000 times more agents than people within a company, amounting to trillions of agents globally.

Adapting Paul Graham's famous advice ("Make something people want"), Levie proposes a new paradigm: "Make something agents want". Agents will themselves choose the most suitable tools, without being influenced by traditional marketing. The major consequence: everything must become API-first. Without an API, a feature does not exist for agents. CLIs and MCP servers become indispensable. Levie cites Jared Friedman of YC, who warns that tools that do not allow sign-up via API are "dead to agents".

Business models must also evolve: the per-seat model no longer suffices when an agent can accomplish hours of human work in a few lines of text. Models based on consumption and volume will be needed, potentially even allowing agents to manage their own payments.

Levie then describes the infrastructure ecosystem required: sandbox environments (E2B, Daytona, Modal, Cloudflare), file management (Box), identity and email for agents (Agentmail), web search (Parallel, Exa), payments (Stripe, Coinbase), and potentially microtransactions. Security, compliance and governance become major issues when agents handle sensitive data in regulated workflows (pharma, banking). Agents will need their own identities with strict controls over their actions and data access.

In conclusion, Levie states that we are entering a new era of software in which tools must be designed specifically for agents operating at an unprecedented scale.

## GrapheDeConnaissance

- Aaron Levie —affirme_que→ agents deviennent principaux utilisateurs logiciels (AFFIRMATION, 0.98)
- Aaron Levie —dirige→ Box (ORGANISATION, 0.99)
- Box —a_créé→ systeme de fichiers pour agents (TECHNOLOGIE, 0.95)
- Agents IA —utilise→ infrastructure API-first (CONCEPT, 0.95)
- Agents IA —remplace→ utilisateurs humains comme premiers utilisateurs logiciels (CONCEPT, 0.9)
- OpenClaw —utilise→ environnement persistant 24/7 (CONCEPT, 0.92)
- Claude Code —fait_partie_de→ premiere vague agents de codage (CONCEPT, 0.95)
- Claude Cowork —fait_partie_de→ agents knowledge work (CONCEPT, 0.9)
- Jared Friedman —recommande→ inscription via API obligatoire (AFFIRMATION, 0.95)
- E2B —permet→ infrastructure sandbox pour agents (CONCEPT, 0.9)
- Daytona —permet→ infrastructure sandbox pour agents (CONCEPT, 0.9)
- MCP —permet→ exposition services aux agents (CONCEPT, 0.88)
- paradigme "make something agents want" —s_inspire_de→ Paul Graham (PERSONNE, 0.92)
- Aravind Srinivas —affirme_que→ donner des ordinateurs aux ordinateurs est superieur (AFFIRMATION, 0.88)

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Canonical: https://www.thekb.eu/en/fiches/levie-building-trillions-agents-software-2026-03-07/