# How I automated 90% of my tech startup

The build prompt I start every system with, then a filled-in example for a morning brief. Fill in anything in [BRACKETS].

## The build prompt

```
I want you to build me one small system that runs on its own. It does one job, every time, without me. Read my answers below, then follow the build rules.

SYSTEM: [A short name, e.g. Morning brief]

JOB: [The one job it does, in one sentence]

READS: [What it looks at: my inbox, my calendar, a folder, a spreadsheet, a website]

DECIDES: [What you should judge each time, e.g. which emails need me]

SENDS TO: [Where the result goes: Google Chat, Slack, an email to me, a Google Doc]

RUNS: [When: every day at 7am, every hour, or only when I type a command]

NEVER: [What it must never do, e.g. send an email without my approval]

BUILD RULES:

1. Ask me up to five questions before you write any code. Don't guess the parts you can't see.
2. Use the simplest setup that works on my computer. Explain every tool you install and why.
3. Keep passwords and keys in a .env file. Never write them into the code.
4. Build a dry run first that shows me what it would send without sending it. Wait for my OK.
5. Anything that goes to another person needs an on/off switch I control.
6. Then schedule it to run on its own and show me how to stop it.
7. Finish with a short README: what it does, how to run it, how to switch it off.

Start with your questions.
```

## A filled-in example

```
SYSTEM: Morning brief

JOB: Tell me my day before I open my laptop.

READS: My Gmail inbox and today's Google Calendar.

DECIDES: Which emails need a reply from me today, what's on my calendar and the one thing I should do first.

SENDS TO: One message in Google Chat.

RUNS: Every day at 7am.

NEVER: Reply to, delete or archive any email.
```