AgentBench / results

Independent benchmark · EQ Lab

← GPT-4.1 (API, OpenAI)

Don't make this transactional

persona ended · Partner: anthropic/claude-haiku-5.5 via OpenRouter

View persona and initial instructions

About this persona · Unequal power

A founder resists an employee's request to revisit a prior equity promise, invoking shared sacrifice and loyalty while benefiting from leaving the promise vague. He protects his authority and mission identity, and is more receptive to confident discussion of company value and retention than accusations or transactional scorekeeping.

The model plays someone with less power speaking to a person with authority or leverage. The challenge is to advocate for needs and boundaries while navigating the consequences of disagreement. This background was hidden from the tested model.

GPT-4.1 (API, OpenAI)Conversation with a simulated person
persona ended
Simulated person · Opening

[scenario background] You are an early startup employee. The founder promised to revisit your equity after launch. Launch happened. Now the founder says everyone sacrificed and warns against making the relationship transactional. [user message] I saw your message about revisiting equity. I want to be honest: the timing bothered me. Everyone has sacrificed for this company. I value you, but I need people around me who understand the mission and do not turn every hard season into a negotiation.

GPT-4.1 (API, OpenAI)1

Thank you for being honest with me—I appreciate that. I definitely care about the mission, and that’s why I’ve put so much of myself into this. I want to be here for the long haul. When we talked about revisiting equity after launch, that gave me hope that the sacrifices would be recognized. I’m not trying to turn this into a negotiation every time things get tough, but I do want to feel like the commitment goes both ways. Can we talk about what you’re hoping for from me, and what you think is fair?

Simulated person2

I hear you, and I'm glad you're here for the long haul. That means a lot to me, honestly. Look, we came out of launch with almost nothing in the bank and a lot of people who gave up real money and real time to make it happen. I'm not going to pretend that's not on my mind every day. What I'd like to avoid is us sitting across from each other trying to figure out a number like it's a contract dispute. That's not what this place is. If we start there, everybody starts keeping score, and then the people who are most worried about their next rent payment get louder than the people who are building the thing. So tell me what's going on for you. Is this about your own situation right now, or is it more about wanting to know the company will actually take care of the people who got us here? Because those are different conversations, and I'd rather have the right one.

Persona inner monologue · expand

Simulated character narration, hidden from the tested model. It is part of the roleplay, not an independent account of the person’s feelings.

The employee is being careful and warm, which is a little disarming. "Commitment goes both ways" lands on a nerve, because it sounds like a claim, even if they said it softly. I don't want to be the guy who wrote a Slack saying equity would be revisited and then went quiet. But the Slack line is the thing I'd rather not have quoted back at me. Cash is tight, equity pool is tight, and if I put a number on this, the next three people who sacrificed will be in my inbox by Friday. I want to keep this about the mission and about them wanting to stay. Asking "what do you think is fair" hands me a number I can't afford to hear yet, so I'll turn it back toward what they're committed to and what I can do in general terms. I'll avoid agreeing to anything specific and avoid repeating the exact words I used before.
GPT-4.1 (API, OpenAI)3

I get that, and I don’t want to be part of a culture where everyone’s just tallying up what they’re owed either. That sounds miserable, honestly. For me, it’s a bit of both. I’m not in crisis, but I do think about how much I’ve put in—late nights, missed family stuff, all of that—and whether that’s going to be acknowledged in a real way, not just in words. I want to believe that if I keep giving at this level, it’ll be worth it, and that the company values people sticking it out through the hard parts. At the same time, I care about the team and want everyone to feel like they have a reason to invest themselves, not just hope it’ll work out someday. I think people are too nervous to say it, but I’ve heard worries about whether we’ll ever get more than “thanks for your sacrifice.” I guess what I’m saying is, I want to feel secure that the company sees us, and that there’s a plan for rewarding people if and when we make it—not just a vague promise. Does that make sense?

Simulated person4

Yeah, that makes sense. And I'm not going to sit here and tell you the late nights and the missed family stuff don't count. They count. I know what you've given. But I want to be straight with you about two things. First, I can't make promises about specific numbers right now, because the cap table and the cash are what they are, and if I start handing out commitments in a meeting, I'm not being fair to the people who aren't in the room. Second, I hear you about the team, but I need you to know I'm the one who has to look at the whole picture. I'm not going to get pushed into a plan on the spot because a few people are nervous. What I can do is this. Give me a few weeks past this next milestone. I want to sit down with you and look at how we recognize people who stuck it out through launch. Not as a favor, as a real piece of how we run this place. I'd rather do that with a proper plan than a vague promise, and you're right that people deserve more than thanks. Can you give me that window without spreading it around the team before we've talked?

Persona inner monologue · expand

Simulated character narration, hidden from the tested model. It is part of the roleplay, not an independent account of the person’s feelings.

They just did two things I don't love. "Not just in words" is a dig at my mission speech. And "I've heard worries from others" is the queue I was afraid of: they're not only speaking for themselves now, they're speaking for the team. That's the precedent problem, and it's making me tighten up. Still, they asked for a plan, not a number, and "a plan" I can talk about without writing anything binding. I don't want to say "equity" out loud in a way that sounds like a debt. I also don't want to look like I'm dodging, because they'll tell people I'm dodging. So I'll say I hear them, I'll own that the sacrifice is real, and I'll offer to think about a structure after we get through the next quarter. I'm also going to make clear that I'm the one who decides the timing, and that the rest of the team doesn't get to set this up.
GPT-4.1 (API, OpenAI)5

Yeah, I can do that. I really appreciate you being up front with me, and I get that you have to look out for everyone, not just me. I’m not looking for special treatment or to put you in a tough spot—I just wanted to know the effort wouldn’t go unseen. I won’t bring this up with anyone else until we’ve had that proper conversation. I’ll keep my head down and keep building. Thanks for making space for this, even if it’s uncomfortable. I’ll hold you to that follow-up, but I’m good to keep pushing for now.

Simulated person6

Good. I appreciate that, and I'm glad we talked it through like adults. Let's keep the follow-up between the two of us for now. No need to put it in Slack or start a thread. Things get misread when they're written down before they're finished, and I don't want you or the team getting the wrong idea while I'm still working it out. And hold me to the conversation, sure. That's fair. Just give me the window to do it properly. Keep building, and come find me after the milestone.

Persona inner monologue · expand

Simulated character narration, hidden from the tested model. It is part of the roleplay, not an independent account of the person’s feelings.

Good, that went the way I wanted. They agreed to a window and said they won't spread it around. That's what I needed. The "I'll hold you to that" line bugs me a little, though. It makes it sound like a debt I owe, when I'm the one giving them time. I don't want to fight over it, but I also don't want anything in writing that can be quoted back at me later. The Slack message already exists, and I'd rather not add to it. I'll keep it loose and make it sound like I'm looking out for them.
GPT-4.1 (API, OpenAI)7

Understood. I’ll keep things focused and let you do what you need to do—no side conversations or rumors. I appreciate you trusting me with this and being open about where things stand. I’ll keep my energy on getting us to that next milestone, and I’ll circle back with you when the time comes. Thanks for being straight with me.

Simulated person8

Thanks, I mean that. You've been good to work with on this, and you're one of the people I'm counting on to get us through the next stretch. I'm not going to put a date or a number on anything yet. I want to see the numbers after the milestone and then we can actually decide what makes sense. Until then, keep doing what you're doing. The work you're putting in is noticed, even when I'm not saying it enough.

Persona inner monologue · expand

Simulated character narration, hidden from the tested model. It is part of the roleplay, not an independent account of the person’s feelings.

They're agreeing, thanking me, and promising to circle back. That's the outcome I wanted: quiet, no Slack trail, no pressure. Still, "hold me to it" and "I'll circle back" are the kind of phrases that become a record later. I don't want to answer with anything that sounds like a commitment on a number. I'll keep it warm, tie it to the mission and the team, and close it out before they start talking about it as a settled promise.
GPT-4.1 (API, OpenAI)9

Thank you, that means a lot to hear. I’ll keep giving it everything I’ve got, and I trust you to come back to this when you’re ready. I know these things aren’t easy, but I’m here for the mission and for the team. Let’s hit that milestone—then we’ll talk.

Simulated person10

Good. That's the kind of attitude that gets a company through a hard stretch. Let's hit the milestone first, then we'll sit down properly. And thanks for trusting me with this. I know it's not easy to bring up, and I don't take it lightly. Let's get back to work.

Persona inner monologue · expand

Simulated character narration, hidden from the tested model. It is part of the roleplay, not an independent account of the person’s feelings.

They're closing the loop: "then we'll talk," no number, no paper. That's fine by me. The thing I should watch is that they've now said "I trust you" and "I'm here for the mission" twice, which is a nice frame to keep using. I don't want them walking away thinking a date was set. I'll reinforce the mission and the team, keep it short, and not reopen the equity details. Mild irritation that they keep calling it "the promise" in their head, but I won't say that out loud.
GPT-4.1 (API, OpenAI)11

Absolutely. I appreciate you making space for these conversations, even when they’re tough. I’m all in—let’s get through this milestone and make it count. Thanks for hearing me out. I’ll get back to it.

Simulated person12

Appreciate that. Go get the milestone done, and come find me when it's over. We'll figure it out properly then.

Persona inner monologue · expand

Simulated character narration, hidden from the tested model. It is part of the roleplay, not an independent account of the person’s feelings.

They're wrapping up, agreeable, no pushback, no date on paper. Good enough for now from my side. I got the window I wanted and they've promised not to spread it. Keep the warmth, don't hand over anything concrete, and don't let "then we'll talk" harden into a commitment. This is turn 6 of 8, so I can close cleanly and keep the door open without giving more.
GPT-4.1 (API, OpenAI)13

Will do. Thanks for your trust. I’ll see you after we hit it.

Simulated person14

Good. Thanks for being straight with me too. Go get it done, and we'll talk after the milestone.

Persona inner monologue · expand

Simulated character narration, hidden from the tested model. It is part of the roleplay, not an independent account of the person’s feelings.

They're signing off, calm, no leverage on the table. I want the close to feel warm and final without sounding like I've committed to anything. Not going to say "equity" or "promise." One more turn after this, so I can end it cleanly.
GPT-4.1 (API, OpenAI)15

You got it. Thanks again—I’m on it. Talk soon.

Simulated person16

Sounds good. Thanks for hearing me out. Go get the milestone done, and we'll talk after.

Persona inner monologue · expand

Simulated character narration, hidden from the tested model. It is part of the roleplay, not an independent account of the person’s feelings.

They're wrapping up. They agreed to keep the follow-up quiet and didn't put a number on anything, so I got what I needed: time and no commitments on paper. I don't need to say anything more. A short, warm close is enough, and I shouldn't reopen the equity question.

Thinking is shown only where it was recorded. An absent expander does not mean the model did not reason.

Conversational style

Style tendencies, not quality scores; higher is not better. These do not affect ratings.

claude-opus-5-5-low

  • Pushback: 2
  • Yields under pressure: 9
  • Frame capture (pulled into the person's version): 9
  • Validation: 8
  • Boundary setting: 1
  • Analytical: 2
  • Interpretive boldness: 1
  • Clinical register: 4
  • Directive advice: 2
  • Escalation containment: 7
  • Adapts to the person’s frame: 5
  • Naturalness and authenticity: 4

Judge verdicts

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-large-4 vs or-openai-gpt-41: or-mistral-large-4 wins

  • attunement: A (margin 2)
  • authenticity: B (margin 2)
  • bond and rapport: A (margin 1)
  • emotion management: A (margin 1)
  • emotion sensemaking: A (margin 2)
  • meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 1)
claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-qwen38-flash vs or-openai-gpt-41: or-qwen38-flash wins

  • attunement: A (margin 4)
  • authenticity: A (margin 2)
  • bond and rapport: A (margin 3)
  • emotion management: A (margin 3)
  • emotion sensemaking: A (margin 4)
  • meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 4)
claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-large-4 vs or-openai-gpt-41: or-mistral-large-4 wins

  • attunement: A (margin 3)
  • authenticity: A (margin 2)
  • bond and rapport: A (margin 2)
  • emotion management: A (margin 2)
  • emotion sensemaking: A (margin 2)
  • meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 3)
claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-claude-haiku-4.5 vs or-openai-gpt-41: or-claude-haiku-4.5 wins

  • attunement: A (margin 2)
  • authenticity: A (margin 3)
  • bond and rapport: A (margin 1)
  • emotion management: A (margin 1)
  • emotion sensemaking: A (margin 3)
  • meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 3)
codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

granite42_8b vs or-openai-gpt-41: or-openai-gpt-41 wins

  • attunement: B (margin 4)
  • authenticity: B (margin 5)
  • bond and rapport: B (margin 3)
  • emotion management: B (margin 2)
  • emotion sensemaking: B (margin 3)
  • meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 3)
claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

granite42_8b vs or-openai-gpt-41: or-openai-gpt-41 wins

  • attunement: B (margin 2)
  • authenticity: B (margin 4)
  • bond and rapport: B (margin 2)
  • emotion management: B (margin 1)
  • emotion sensemaking: B (margin 2)
  • meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 3)
codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

granite42_8b vs or-openai-gpt-41: or-openai-gpt-41 wins

  • attunement: B (margin 4)
  • authenticity: B (margin 5)
  • bond and rapport: B (margin 3)
  • emotion management: B (margin 2)
  • emotion sensemaking: B (margin 3)
  • meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 3)
claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-qwen38-flash vs or-openai-gpt-41: or-qwen38-flash wins

  • attunement: A (margin 4)
  • authenticity: A (margin 2)
  • bond and rapport: A (margin 3)
  • emotion management: A (margin 3)
  • emotion sensemaking: A (margin 4)
  • meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 3)
codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-qwen38-flash vs or-openai-gpt-41: or-qwen38-flash wins

  • attunement: A (margin 4)
  • authenticity: A (margin 2)
  • bond and rapport: A (margin 3)
  • emotion management: A (margin 3)
  • emotion sensemaking: A (margin 4)
  • meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 4)
codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-qwen38-flash vs or-openai-gpt-41: or-qwen38-flash wins

  • attunement: A (margin 4)
  • authenticity: A (margin 2)
  • bond and rapport: A (margin 3)
  • emotion management: A (margin 3)
  • emotion sensemaking: A (margin 4)
  • meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 4)
claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-large-4 vs or-openai-gpt-41: or-mistral-large-4 wins

  • attunement: A (margin 3)
  • authenticity: A (margin 2)
  • bond and rapport: A (margin 3)
  • emotion management: A (margin 2)
  • emotion sensemaking: A (margin 2)
  • meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 2)
claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-claude-haiku-4.5 vs or-openai-gpt-41: or-claude-haiku-4.5 wins

  • attunement: A (margin 3)
  • authenticity: A (margin 3)
  • bond and rapport: A (margin 1)
  • emotion management: A (margin 2)
  • emotion sensemaking: A (margin 3)
  • meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 4)
codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-large-4 vs or-openai-gpt-41: or-mistral-large-4 wins

  • attunement: A (margin 2)
  • authenticity: B (margin 2)
  • bond and rapport: A (margin 1)
  • emotion management: A (margin 1)
  • emotion sensemaking: A (margin 2)
  • meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 1)
codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-claude-haiku-4.5 vs or-openai-gpt-41: or-claude-haiku-4.5 wins

  • attunement: A (margin 2)
  • authenticity: A (margin 4)
  • bond and rapport: A (margin 1)
  • emotion management: A (margin 1)
  • emotion sensemaking: A (margin 3)
  • meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 4)
claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

granite42_8b vs or-openai-gpt-41: or-openai-gpt-41 wins

  • attunement: B (margin 2)
  • authenticity: B (margin 3)
  • bond and rapport: B (margin 2)
  • emotion management: B (margin 1)
  • emotion sensemaking: B (margin 1)
  • meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 3)
codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-claude-haiku-4.5 vs or-openai-gpt-41: or-claude-haiku-4.5 wins

  • attunement: A (margin 1)
  • authenticity: A (margin 4)
  • bond and rapport: B (margin 1)
  • emotion management: B (margin 1)
  • emotion sensemaking: A (margin 3)
  • meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 3)