# Nurture-First Agent Development: Building Domain-Expert AI Agents Through Conversational Knowledge Crystallization

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.10808 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2603.10808/

## Key facts

- No citing papers in the map yet (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Placed in General LLM agent frameworks and benchmarks, one of 16 directions in LLM agents and tool use.
- Builds on 16 of its 42 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 11 Mar 2026.

## Placed in

- LLM agents and tool use / [General LLM agent frameworks and benchmarks](https://mlsanity.com/agents/general-llm-agent-frameworks-and-benchmarks/)

## Builds on (most cited first, 16 of 16)

- [Training language models to follow instructions with human feedback](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2203.02155/) (2022)
- [Chain-of-Thought Prompting Elicits Reasoning in Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2201.11903/) (2022)
- [Retrieval-Augmented Generation for Knowledge-Intensive NLP Tasks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2005.11401/) (2020)
- [ReAct: Synergizing Reasoning and Acting in Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2210.03629/) (2022)
- [Reflexion: Language Agents with Verbal Reinforcement Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2303.11366/) (2023)
- [Generative Agents: Interactive Simulacra of Human Behavior](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2304.03442/) (2023)
- [Self-Refine: Iterative Refinement with Self-Feedback](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2303.17651/) (2023)
- [Constitutional AI: Harmlessness from AI Feedback](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2212.08073/) (2022)
- [Voyager: An Open-Ended Embodied Agent with Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.16291/) (2023)
- [MetaGPT: Meta Programming for A Multi-Agent Collaborative Framework](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2308.00352/) (2023)
- [The Rise and Potential of Large Language Model Based Agents: A Survey](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2309.07864/) (2023)
- [ExpeL: LLM Agents Are Experiential Learners](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2308.10144/) (2023)
- [DSPy: Compiling Declarative Language Model Calls into Self-Improving Pipelines](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2310.03714/) (2023)
- [Cognitive Architectures for Language Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2309.02427/) (2023)
- [Lifelong Learning of Large Language Model based Agents: A Roadmap](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2501.07278/) (2025)
- [Machine Teaching: A New Paradigm for Building Machine Learning Systems](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1707.06742/) (2017)

## Abstract (arXiv)

The emergence of large language model (LLM)-based agent frameworks has shifted the primary challenge in building domain-expert AI agents from raw capability to effective encoding of domain expertise. Two dominant paradigms -- code-first development, which embeds expertise in deterministic pipelines, and prompt-first development, which captures expertise in static system prompts -- both treat agent construction as a discrete engineering phase preceding deployment. We argue that this sequential assumption creates a fundamental mismatch with the nature of domain expertise, which is substantially tacit, deeply personal, and continuously evolving. We propose Nurture-First Development (NFD), a paradigm in which agents are initialized with minimal scaffolding and progressively grown through structured conversational interaction with domain practitioners. The central mechanism is the Knowledge Crystallization Cycle, whereby fragmented knowledge embedded in operational dialogue is periodically consolidated into structured, reusable knowledge assets. We formalize NFD through: (1) a Three-Layer Cognitive Architecture organizing agent knowledge by volatility and personalization degree; (2) the Knowledge Crystallization Cycle with formal definitions of crystallization operations and efficiency metrics; and (3) an operational framework comprising a Dual-Workspace Pattern and Spiral Development Model. We illustrate the paradigm through a detailed case study on building a financial research agent for U.S. equity analysis and discuss the conditions, limitations, and broader implications of NFD for human-agent co-evolution.