---
id: "concept-agent-discovery"
type: "concept"
source_timestamps: ["13:04:00", "13:10:00", "13:45:00"]
tags: ["infrastructure", "distribution", "b2b"]
related: ["concept-vertical-distribution", "concept-agentic-economy", "action-build-agent-discovery"]
definition: "The missing infrastructure and distribution layer required for autonomous AI agents to find, vet, and transact with other agents and services across the internet."
sources: ["s28-5-safe-places"]
sourceVaultSlug: "s28-5-safe-places"
originDay: 28
---
# Agent Discovery

## Definition

The missing infrastructure and distribution layer required for autonomous AI agents to find, vet, and transact with other agents and services across the internet.

## Summary

Agent Discovery is identified as a **massive, unsolved problem** and a missing distribution layer in the emerging [[concept-agentic-economy|agentic economy]].

If every business deploys AI agents to handle tasks (booking, purchasing, negotiating), there currently exists no standardized mechanism for these agents to find each other. The internet lacks an **'Agent Native App Store'** or directory that allows an autonomous agent to:

1. Discover where it needs to go to do business.
2. Verify the endpoint.
3. Execute a transaction.

## Greenfield Opportunity

The speaker suggests building infrastructure for agent-to-agent discovery is a massive opportunity, **akin to building the search engine or app store for the next iteration of the web**.

## Open Question

See [[question-agent-discovery-solution]] — will incumbents (Google/Apple) capture this, or will a new startup build the canonical discovery layer?

## Action

See [[action-build-agent-discovery]].

## Related

- Distribution context: [[concept-vertical-distribution]]
- Adjacency: a16z and Yohei Nakajima have both flagged agent discovery as the missing layer; MCP-style protocols ([[prereq-mcp-d28]]) are the closest current standards.


## Related across days
- [[concept-agentic-economy]]
- [[concept-agent-ready-business]]
- [[question-agent-discovery-solution]]
- [[concept-vertical-distribution]]
- [[arc-agentic-economy-foundations]]