Model tier discipline

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A platform that routes all inference work through the highest-capability model available regardless of work shape spends significantly more per output than necessary. A platform with no guidance on model selection leaves each contributor to make independent choices that may be inconsistent, cost-inefficient, or both. Model tier discipline is the structured approach that matches work shape to model capability, routes appropriate work to lower-cost tiers, and makes the routing decision explicit and reviewable.
A platform that routes all inference work through the highest-capability model available regardless of work shape spends significantly more per output than necessary. Model tier discipline is the routing discipline implemented by the [[service-slm-operationalization-plan|compute routing architecture]] through the [[doorman-protocol|Doorman service]]. A platform with no guidance on model selection leaves each contributor to make independent choices that may be inconsistent, cost-inefficient, or both. Model tier discipline is the structured approach that matches work shape to model capability, routes appropriate work to lower-cost tiers, and makes the routing decision explicit and reviewable.

## Three abstract tiers

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## See also

- [[compounding-substrate]] — the contributor model this discipline makes economically viable
- [[service-slm-operationalization-plan]] — the compute routing architecture that applies the tier structure
- [[doorman-protocol]] — the Doorman service that enforces routing at the inference gateway