---
title: "Floor and ceiling"
description: "Theo Browne argues that a model's ordinary reliability matters more than its peak on long agent runs."
group: concept
terms:
  - "floor and ceiling"
  - "model floor"
sources:
  - https://youtu.be/iBrAWpjXNxs?t=259
  - https://youtu.be/iBrAWpjXNxs?t=1359
---

# Floor and ceiling

Theo distinguishes a model's best performance from its ordinary floor. He says the floor matters more when an agent must work through a long task. [04:19](https://youtu.be/iBrAWpjXNxs?t=259) [05:31](https://youtu.be/iBrAWpjXNxs?t=331).

He illustrates how small failure rates across repeated time windows compound over a four-hour run. [22:39](https://youtu.be/iBrAWpjXNxs?t=1359) [23:19](https://youtu.be/iBrAWpjXNxs?t=1399).

See [Theo Browne: Please stop using stupid models](/lore/theo-please-stop-using-stupid-models).