10. Hierarchical Multi-Agent Teams
Mini-Project: Full-Stack Project Builder
A hierarchical team where a top-level supervisor coordinates a research team and an engineering team to design and implement a full-stack application.
Description
Hierarchical Multi-Agent Teams extend the Supervisor pattern by nesting multiple supervisors into a tree structure. A top-level supervisor delegates to mid-level supervisors, each of which manages their own team of specialized worker agents. This mirrors how large organizations structure teams with managers and sub-teams.
When to Use
- Large-scale, multi-domain tasks requiring many specialized agents
- When a single supervisor would be overloaded with too many workers
- Projects requiring both research AND implementation teams
- Enterprise workflows with clear team boundaries and responsibilities
Benefits
| Benefit | Description |
|---|---|
| Scalability | Manage dozens of agents through hierarchical delegation |
| Team Autonomy | Each sub-team operates independently within its domain |
| Reduced Complexity | Each supervisor manages only a few direct reports |
| Composability | Teams can be assembled from reusable sub-team modules |
Architecture Diagram
flowchart TD
A[User Input] --> B[Top-Level Supervisor]
B -->|Delegate| C[Research Team Supervisor]
B -->|Delegate| D[Engineering Team Supervisor]
C --> E[Web Researcher]
C --> F[Data Analyst]
D --> G[Frontend Dev]
D --> H[Backend Dev]
E -->|Results| C
F -->|Results| C
G -->|Results| D
H -->|Results| D
C -->|Team Report| B
D -->|Team Report| B
B --> I[Final Output]
style A fill:#4CAF50,color:#fff
style B fill:#F44336,color:#fff
style C fill:#FF9800,color:#fff
style D fill:#FF9800,color:#fff
style E fill:#2196F3,color:#fff
style F fill:#2196F3,color:#fff
style G fill:#9C27B0,color:#fff
style H fill:#9C27B0,color:#fff
style I fill:#4CAF50,color:#fff