Starting from Scratch

No existing agent system? Here’s the recommended path to get fully set up.

Before You Start

Assessment: What Do You Already Have?

Before building anything, take inventory of your current workflows:

Spend 30 minutes listing your workflows before touching any code. The Workflow Mapping Guide has a formal process for this, but a quick brain dump is a good start.

Recommended Setup Order

Don’t try to build everything at once. Follow this order:

  ┌───────────────────────────────────┐
  │  Week 1: Foundation               │
  │  CLI + Vault + CLAUDE.md          │
  └─────────────────┬─────────────────┘
                    │
                    ▼
  ┌───────────────────────────────────┐
  │  Week 2: Context                  │
  │  Self_Context + AGENT_GUIDE       │
  └─────────────────┬─────────────────┘
                    │
                    ▼
  ┌───────────────────────────────────┐
  │  Week 3: Commands                 │
  │  5-10 most-used workflows         │
  └─────────────────┬─────────────────┘
                    │
                    ▼
  ┌───────────────────────────────────┐
  │  Week 4: Automation               │
  │  LaunchAgents + nightly pipeline  │
  └─────────────────┬─────────────────┘
                    │
                    ▼
  ┌───────────────────────────────────┐
  │  Ongoing: Expand                  │
  │  More commands, agents, tools     │
  └───────────────────────────────────┘

Week 1: Foundation

Goal: Claude Code working with a basic vault.

1. Install Claude Code — follow Prerequisites and Installation

2. Create your vault — set up the PARA folder structure:

   ~/vault/
   ├── 1_Projects/
   ├── 2_Areas/
   ├── 3_Resources/
   └── 4_Archive/

3. Create ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md — start with the basics:

   • Your name and role
   • Preferred communication style
   • Key rules (e.g., “always commit after completing a task”)
   • Paths to your vault

4. Test it — open Claude Code and ask it to do something. Does it follow your CLAUDE.md rules?

Week 2: Context Loading

Goal: Claude knows who you are and can route to the right information.

1. Create Self_Context files — at minimum:

   • identity.md — who you are, what you do
   • preferences.md — communication style, tool preferences
   • domains.md — your main life/work areas

2. Create AGENT_GUIDE.md — list where everything lives in your vault. See Context Architecture for details.

3. Create the /contxt command — a slash command that loads your context. See Context Architecture.

4. Test it — run /contxt and verify Claude has the right context.

Week 3: First Commands

Goal: Your 5-10 most common tasks are one command away.

1. Pick your top workflows — what do you do most often?
2. Create slash commands for each — .md files in ~/.claude/commands/
3. Start simple — each command should do one thing well
4. Iterate — use each command a few times and refine the prompt

Good first commands:

• /today — plan your day
• /ship — commit and push code
• /review — review recent work
• A domain-specific command for your main work area

Week 4: Automation

Goal: Data collection runs without you thinking about it.

1. Identify data sources — calendar, email, messages, health, etc.
2. Write collection scripts — Python recommended, one per source
3. Set up LaunchAgents — schedule scripts to run automatically
4. Build a nightly pipeline — even a simple version that collects and aggregates

See Scheduling for LaunchAgent setup.

Ongoing: Expand

Once the foundation is solid:

• Add more specialized agents for domain-specific tasks
• Build thinking tools for decision-making (see Creating Commands & Skills)
• Map more workflows using the Workflow Mapping Guide
• Fine-tune context loading based on what works

Common First-Week Patterns

Pattern 1: Over-Engineering

Symptom: Spending days building infrastructure before using the system. Fix: Start with just CLAUDE.md and one slash command. Expand from actual needs, not imagined ones.

Pattern 2: Under-Documenting

Symptom: Claude doesn’t know your preferences because you haven’t written them down. Fix: Every time Claude asks something you’ve answered before, add it to a context file.

Pattern 3: Ignoring PARA

Symptom: Files everywhere, no consistent structure. Fix: Commit to PARA from day one. Every file goes into Projects, Areas, Resources, or Archive.

Pattern 4: Too Many Commands Too Fast

Symptom: 30 commands created in week one, none of them well-tested. Fix: Start with 3-5 commands. Use each one 5+ times before creating more.

Quick Reference

Next Steps

• Start with the Setup Guide for installation
• Read Context Architecture to understand the layering
• Use the Workflow Mapping Guide when you’re ready to formalize workflows
• Try the Day 1 Verification to confirm your setup