Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
What are the limitations of using a file-based agent workflow? Why do massive context windows tend to collapse? This week on the show, Mikiko Bazeley from MongoDB joins us to discuss agentic architecture and context engineering.
👉 Links from the show: realpython.com/podcasts/rpp/295
Mikiko is an applied AI engineer. She helps developers and organizations build AI and ML applications using MongoDB. We dig into the debate of files versus a database. What are some of the limitations of building an agent with just a folder of files?
We explore the surprising limitations of massive context windows and strategies for fixing them. Mikiko also shares advice and resources to help you get up to speed on building your own agent skills. Our conversation touches on multiple topics in the current development landscape.
This episode is sponsored by SerpApi.
Topics:
- 00:00:00 -- Introduction
- 00:02:31 -- Catching up with MongoDB
- 00:07:02 -- Are the files all you need?
- 00:15:14 -- What is a workflow agent?
- 00:24:43 -- Sponsor: SerpApi
- 00:25:45 -- Model vs harness
- 00:29:57 -- Context rot and tool loadouts
- 00:41:07 -- Sharing state and coordination of agents
- 00:47:27 -- Video Course Spotlight
- 00:49:16 -- What do dataflows look like
- 01:00:38 -- The human-in-the-loop & coding agents
- 01:10:30 -- Resources to explore
- 01:17:49 -- What are you excited about in the world of Python?
- 01:18:38 -- What do you want to learn next?
- 01:22:54 -- Thanks and goodbye
👉 Links from the show: realpython.com/podcasts/rpp/295
Download your free Python Cheat Sheet here: realpython.com/cheatsheet
Free Python Skill Test with instant level + learning plan: realpython.com/skill-test
Want to learn faster? Become a Python Expert with unlimited access to 5,000+ tutorials, videos, and exercises: realpython.com/start
🐍 Become a Python expert with real-world tutorials, on-demand courses, interactive quizzes, and 24/7 access to a community of experts at realpython.com
▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰
🐍 Start Here → realpython.com/start
🗺️ Guided Learning Paths → realpython.com/learning-paths
🎧 Real Python Podcast → realpython.com/podcast
📚 Python Books → realpython.com/books
📖 Python Reference → realpython.com/ref
🧑💻 Quizzes & Exercises → realpython.com/quizzes
🎓 Live Courses: realpython.com/live
⭐️ Reviews & Learner Stories: realpython.com/learner-stories
▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰
What are the limitations of using a file-based agent workflow? Why do massive context windows tend to collapse? This week on the show, Mikiko Bazeley from MongoDB joins us to discuss agentic architecture and context engineering.
👉 Links from the show: realpython.com/podcasts/rpp/295
Mikiko is an applied AI engineer. She helps developers and organizations build AI and ML applications using MongoDB. We dig into the debate of files versus a database. What are some of the limitations of building an agent with just a folder of files?
We explore the surprising limitations of massive context windows and strategies for fixing them. Mikiko also shares advice and resources to help you get up to speed on building your own agent skills. Our conversation touches on multiple topics in the current development landscape.
This episode is sponsored by SerpApi.
Topics:
- 00:00:00 -- Introduction
- 00:02:31 -- Catching up with MongoDB
- 00:07:02 -- Are the files all you need?
- 00:15:14 -- What is a workflow agent?
- 00:24:43 -- Sponsor: SerpApi
- 00:25:45 -- Model vs harness
- 00:29:57 -- Context rot and tool loadouts
- 00:41:07 -- Sharing state and coordination of agents
- 00:47:27 -- Video Course Spotlight
- 00:49:16 -- What do dataflows look like
- 01:00:38 -- The human-in-the-loop & coding agents
- 01:10:30 -- Resources to explore
- 01:17:49 -- What are you excited about in the world of Python?
- 01:18:38 -- What do you want to learn next?
- 01:22:54 -- Thanks and goodbye
👉 Links from the show: realpython.com/podcasts/rpp/295
Download your free Python Cheat Sheet here: realpython.com/cheatsheet
Free Python Skill Test with instant level + learning plan: realpython.com/skill-test
Want to learn faster? Become a Python Expert with unlimited access to 5,000+ tutorials, videos, and exercises: realpython.com/start
🐍 Become a Python expert with real-world tutorials, on-demand courses, interactive quizzes, and 24/7 access to a community of experts at realpython.com
▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰
🐍 Start Here → realpython.com/start
🗺️ Guided Learning Paths → realpython.com/learning-paths
🎧 Real Python Podcast → realpython.com/podcast
📚 Python Books → realpython.com/books
📖 Python Reference → realpython.com/ref
🧑💻 Quizzes & Exercises → realpython.com/quizzes
🎓 Live Courses: realpython.com/live
⭐️ Reviews & Learner Stories: realpython.com/learner-stories
▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰
