Before You Start
Everything you need to set up your agent system. The whole process takes about 2-3 hours, and the system itself will help guide you through most of it.
What You’ll Need
A Mac computer ──────────────┐
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An internet connection ──────┼──▶ Ready to start
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2-3 hours of focused time ───┘| Requirement | Why | How to Get It |
|---|---|---|
| A Mac (recent macOS version) | The system uses Mac-specific automation features | Check: Apple menu > About This Mac |
| An Anthropic account | This powers the AI that runs everything | Sign up at console.anthropic.com |
| A GitHub account | Where the system files are stored and synced | Sign up at github.com |
| 1Password (recommended) | Secure credential storage — the system should never store passwords in plain text | Sign up at 1password.com |
Why use 1Password? The system connects to your email, calendar, and other services using API keys and tokens. Storing these in plain text files is a security risk. 1Password is the recommended approach because it encrypts secrets and supports secure CLI access. If you use another secrets manager, apply the same security standard.
Optional (But Recommended)
| Tool | What It Adds |
|---|---|
| Obsidian | A beautiful app for viewing and editing your knowledge base |
| Google account | Enables calendar and email integration |
Two Ways to Set Up
Option A: Let Claude Guide You (Recommended)
Once Claude Code is installed (Step 1), you can ask it to guide the remaining setup interactively — answering questions, explaining what’s happening, and verifying each step works.
Option B: Follow the Written Guide
Each step below has detailed instructions with exact text to type and what you should see after each action.
The Setup Steps
| Step | What You’ll Do | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Step 1: Install Claude Code | Get the core tool installed and running | 20 min |
| Step 2: Set Up Your Vault | Create your organized knowledge base | 15 min |
| Step 3: Tell It About You | Fill in your personal profile so the system knows you | 30 min |
| Step 4: Connect Your Tools | Link your email, calendar, and other services | 30 min |
| Step 5: Your First Workflow | Run your first automated workflow end-to-end | 20 min |
| Verify It Works | Confirm everything is set up correctly | 15 min |
Before You Begin: A Quick Orientation
What is a “terminal”?
A terminal is a text-based way to talk to your computer. Instead of clicking buttons, you type commands. It looks like this:
Last login: Mon Mar 2 08:00:00 on ttys000
yourname@MacBook ~ %How to open it: Press Cmd + Space, type “Terminal”, and press Enter.
You’ll use the terminal throughout setup. Every command you need to type will be shown in a box like this:
the exact text to type goes hereAfter each command, we’ll show you what you should see so you can confirm it worked.
What if something goes wrong?
Every step includes a “If something went wrong” section with solutions for common issues. If you get stuck on something not covered, the Troubleshooting page has more solutions, or you can ask Claude directly — it’s designed to help you debug setup issues.