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The Journey

Seven stages. Each one builds on the last — but you can start wherever you are.

  • Stage 1 · Copilot Chat

    Build a daily habit in the apps you already use — Teams, Word, Outlook, the M365 Copilot app. No setup, no new tools: just prompts in the flow of work.

    You're ready for this if you have a Copilot license and want quick, paste-and-go wins.

    → Go to Stage 1

  • Stage 2 · First-Party Agents

    Researcher, Analyst, Facilitator, Interpreter — agents Microsoft already built and included in your license. Most people don't know they're there.

    You're ready for this if you're fluent in Chat and want more without building anything.

    → Go to Stage 2

  • Stage 3 · Cowork

    Stop prompting step by step. Hand off whole multi-step tasks — a full deck, a weekly digest, a synthesis across a dozen documents — and let Copilot run them.

    You're ready for this if you trust Copilot for individual steps and want to delegate whole workflows.

    → Go to Stage 3

  • Stage 4 · Agent Builder

    When you keep repeating the same Cowork task, turn it into a custom agent — over your files, your SharePoint site, your org's knowledge. No code required.

    You're ready for this if you've thought "I wish this just existed" more than once.

    → Go to Stage 4

  • Stage 5 · Autopilots

    Autopilots are a new category of always-on, autonomous agents that run a defined job in the background — triggered by events, not by your prompt. Microsoft Scout is the first one. In Frontier private preview today: real where you're enrolled, not yet available to everyone.

    You're ready for this if you have a recurring job that shouldn't wait for you to start it — and access to Scout (the first Autopilot) in your tenant.

    → Go to Stage 5

  • Stage 6 · Copilot Studio

    Your simple agents are hitting limits. Copilot Studio gives you real knowledge bases, external connectors, MCP tool integrations, and enterprise-grade governance.

    You're ready for this if your agents need to call APIs, go beyond SharePoint, or be governed at scale.

    → Go to Stage 6

  • Stage 7 · Microsoft Foundry

    The pro-code frontier. When low-code hits its ceiling, Microsoft Foundry gives developers full control — custom models, your own orchestration, evaluation and fine-tuning, and production-grade deployment.

    You're ready for this if you have developers and need control low-code can't give you.

    → Go to Stage 7

Not sure where to start? The Start Here page has a two-minute self-assessment that puts you on the right rung.

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