AI agency or in-house AI team?
Once you know which jobs AI should take on, you need people to build the systems. You can hire AI engineers, bring in an agency or mix the two. The right choice depends on how much you plan to build and whether AI is part of your product.
Deniz SancarFounder of Yarigai. Updated 10 October 2026.
Yarigai is an AI agency, so read this with that in mind. The advice works for any agency you talk to, including us.
When an agency fits
- You have a handful of specific workflows to automate, like outreach, support or reporting.
- You want the first system running in weeks, not after a hiring round.
- You don't have a technical team, or yours is busy with the product.
- You'd rather pay a fixed price for a defined build than carry salaries for work that has an end date.
When an in-house team fits
- AI is part of what you sell, so the work never ends.
- You'll change the systems every week and need people who know them inside out.
- You already have engineering leadership who can hire and manage AI engineers.
What an in-house team costs beyond salary
Hiring takes months, and each engineer needs a manager, tools, hosting and a budget for AI usage. An AI system also needs several skills at once, including prompt design, integrations, data handling, testing and hosting. One hire rarely covers all of them.
Count those costs before you compare a salary with an agency quote. Running costs for AI and hosting apply either way.
The hybrid most businesses end up with
An agency builds the first systems and documents them. Your team runs them day to day, and a monthly care plan covers fixes and model updates. When the AI work grows enough to fill a full-time role, you hire, and the new engineer takes over code you already own.
That only works if you own the code and the accounts from day one, so make it a condition of any agency deal.
Questions to decide
- How many separate workflows do we want to automate this year?
- Is AI part of our product, or part of how we run the business?
- Who would manage an AI engineer if we hired one?
- How soon do we need the first system running?
If you want a few systems running soon, and AI isn't your product, start with an agency. If AI is your product, build the team.
Where Yarigai fits
Yarigai is a done-for-you AI agency. We build in your accounts, hand over the code and the documentation, and offer a care plan you can cancel any month. If you hire your own AI team later, they take over systems you already own.
Common questions
Can an AI agency act as our AI team?
For many small and mid-sized businesses, yes. On a monthly care plan an agency monitors, fixes and extends your systems, which covers much of what you would hire an AI engineer to do.
Do we need a technical team to work with an AI agency?
No. A done-for-you agency handles the build, the hosting and the upkeep. Your team needs to know the workflow being automated.
What skills does an in-house AI team need?
Prompt design, integrations with your existing tools, data handling, testing and hosting. Most teams also need someone who understands the business workflow well enough to decide what to automate.
Not sure which route fits?
Book a free scope call. We'll tell you if you'd be better off hiring.