Modelmaxxing Takes Center Stage as AI Budget Playbook

AI teams are moving from aggressive token budgeting to modelmaxxing—using cheaper models for routine work while reserving frontier models for high-IQ tasks—driven by new routing tools from startups that automatically steer tasks to cost-effective options. With leaders like Coinbase’s Brian Armstrong predicting most workloads will run on cheaper models within 12–18 months, the industry is shifting how companies manage AI budgets and model selection.