🚏 Routing saves 30–60% on AI cost when done well
PM LLM Routing
(2026 Edition)
5 routing strategies and 4 pitfalls.
Build Routing PM Skills — Free →5 Strategies
1.
Tier by complexity — small/medium/large model per task
2.
Route by latency budget — fast models for inline, slow for async
3.
Route by safety — sensitive tasks to vetted models
4.
Use multiple vendors for resilience
5.
Cache aggressively before routing
4 Pitfalls
❌
Routing based on cost alone — quality regressions show up later
❌
No A/B testing of routing decisions
❌
Routing logic that's a black box no one understands
❌
Vendor lock-in through tightly-coupled tooling
FAQ
Is model routing worth the engineering complexity?
For products with material AI cost, yes. Routing typically saves 30–60% on model spend without quality regression. The engineering investment pays back fast at scale. For small or experimental products, default to one good model and optimise later.