My setup has settled into three layers. Cursor for code, a persistent-memory agent for async ops (email triage, calendar prep, recurring context), and the Claude API for one-off heavy reasoning.

The persistent layer is the real unlock. Once the agent knows your open threads, recurring contacts, and meeting cadence, the per-session context tax mostly disappears. Most days I'm reviewing the agent's drafts rather than retyping the situation from scratch.

Still working out whether to consolidate providers or keep the layers purpose-separated. Consolidation simplifies billing but tends to optimize for the average use case rather than the one you actually have.