Prompts to copy

Copy one, paste it into your AI, done. Highlighted parts in <angle brackets> are yours to fill in: type straight into them before copying, or fill them in afterwards. Once you've used one twice, ask your AI to turn it into a skill.

Setup

First contact
Hi! This folder is my new Obsidian vault, set up from the AI Kickstart kit. Please read AGENTS.md and _system/index.md (nothing else yet), then tell me in three short lines: 1) what this vault is for, 2) how you'll help me, 3) what we should do first. Then create a test note at _inbox/hello.md that says "It works!" so I can check that you can write here.
Help me with a setup step I'm stuck on
I'm on harness step <P0.x> and I'm stuck: <what happened>. I use <Mac / Windows / Linux> and <AI tool>. Explain what to do in plain words, one step at a time, and wait for me after each step.

Dashed parts in <angle brackets> are yours. Type into them, or copy as-is and fill in later.

Interview

Start
Start round 1 of my kickstart interview. Keep it friendly and one question at a time. I may answer by voice.
Next round
Start round <2 / 3 / 4> of my kickstart interview.

Dashed parts in <angle brackets> are yours. Type into them, or copy as-is and fill in later.

Express (~20 min)Rounds 1 and 2 merged
I'm short on time. Run the express version of my kickstart interview: rounds 1 and 2 merged, about 10 core questions. Then draft my profile with sensible defaults and put the deep dives in my harness plan for later.
Fix my profile
Read my profile files in _system/profile/ and show me anything that looks wrong, outdated or too vague. Ask me one question at a time to fix it, and show me each change before saving.

Harness

The main one
Continue my harness plan.
Status
Harness status.
Capture an idea
Add to harness: <idea>.

Dashed parts in <angle brackets> are yours. Type into them, or copy as-is and fill in later.

New AI tool
I'm continuing my AI setup in a new tool. Read AGENTS.md, then _system/HARNESS-PLAN.md (the Now table and the last two session-log entries), and tell me where we are and what's next. Don't change anything yet.

Everyday life

Morning
Morning briefing.
Sunday
Weekly review.
Keep something
Save this to my notes: just the decision and why, not the whole conversation.
Ask your notes
What do my notes say about <topic>? Cite the notes, and tell me what's missing.

Dashed parts in <angle brackets> are yours. Type into them, or copy as-is and fill in later.

Official letter
Here's a letter I received (attached). In plain words: what is it, do I need to do anything, and by when? If I need to reply, draft a short, polite reply. Flag anything you're not sure about.
Meal plan
Plan dinners for next week for <who>. Respect everyone's dietary needs from their people profiles, keep weeknights under <30> minutes, reuse ingredients, and give me a shopping list grouped by aisle.

Dashed parts in <angle brackets> are yours. Type into them, or copy as-is and fill in later.

Date night / outing
Plan a date night for <Friday>. Three options, one recommendation.

Dashed parts in <angle brackets> are yours. Type into them, or copy as-is and fill in later.

Trip
Help me plan a trip to <place> around <dates>. Interview me first, one question at a time: who's coming, budget, pace, must-dos. Then draft an itinerary with a plan B for bad weather.

Dashed parts in <angle brackets> are yours. Type into them, or copy as-is and fill in later.

Gift
<Name>'s birthday is on <date>. Using their people profile, suggest 5 gift ideas at around <budget>, ranked, with where to get them. Avoid anything we've given before.

Dashed parts in <angle brackets> are yours. Type into them, or copy as-is and fill in later.

Kids' test prep
<Child> has a <subject> test on <topic> on <date>. Make a short study plan for the days until then, a one-page summary at their level, and 10 practice questions with answers on a separate page.

Dashed parts in <angle brackets> are yours. Type into them, or copy as-is and fill in later.

Home fix
<Appliance / problem> is <doing what>. Check my home manual notes for the model. Walk me through safe things I can try myself, and tell me when to call a professional.

Dashed parts in <angle brackets> are yours. Type into them, or copy as-is and fill in later.

Subscriptions
Here's a list of my subscriptions / a bank export (attached). Find recurring payments, group them, total them per month and year, and suggest what to cancel or downgrade. Ask me about anything unclear.

Work (any job)

Decision memo
Help me decide between <A> and <B>. Ask me up to 5 questions first. Then write a one-page decision memo: context, options, trade-offs, a recommendation, and what would change your mind.

Dashed parts in <angle brackets> are yours. Type into them, or copy as-is and fill in later.

Red team
Red-team this <plan / document> (attached). What are the 5 most likely ways it fails or gets misunderstood? For each: how likely, how bad, and what would prevent it.

Dashed parts in <angle brackets> are yours. Type into them, or copy as-is and fill in later.

Meeting prep
I have a meeting with <who> about <topic> on <date>. Using my notes on them and the topic, give me: the goal of the meeting, 3 key points, questions to ask, and likely objections with answers.

Dashed parts in <angle brackets> are yours. Type into them, or copy as-is and fill in later.

Meeting notes → actions
Here are my rough meeting notes. Turn them into: decisions, actions (who / what / by when), open questions, and a short follow-up email I can send.
Email in my voice
Draft a reply to this email. Tone: <friendly but firm>. Goal: <what I want to happen>. Keep it under 120 words. Don't send anything, just draft.

Dashed parts in <angle brackets> are yours. Type into them, or copy as-is and fill in later.

Big task
Break "<task>" into 15-minute steps, in order. Mark the first one I can do right now, and anything I need from someone else.

Dashed parts in <angle brackets> are yours. Type into them, or copy as-is and fill in later.

Wins log
Add to my wins log: <what happened>. Phrase it as impact (what changed, for whom, by how much), in one or two lines.

Dashed parts in <angle brackets> are yours. Type into them, or copy as-is and fill in later.

Explain like a colleague
Explain <concept> to me as a smart colleague from a different field: what it is, why it matters, a concrete example, and the common misconceptions.

Dashed parts in <angle brackets> are yours. Type into them, or copy as-is and fill in later.

Making it better

Turn a repeat into a skill
Make this a skill. I'll probably ask for this again. Use the skill-builder skill.
Ask before doing
Before you start: what would you need to know to do this really well? Ask me first, one question at a time.
Check your work
Check your work: list the claims you made, how you verified each one, and which ones are still unverified.
Learn from today
What did you learn today about how I like to work? Propose one line for PREFERENCES.md or LEARNED.md. Show it before saving.
Prune
Review my setup: which skills or routines haven't I used in a month, and what keeps annoying me? Suggest what to fix, simplify or archive. Don't change anything until I say so.
A mistake happened twice
You made the same mistake twice: <what>. Should we fix it by improving a skill, the vault structure, or (last resort) one short line in AGENTS.md? Propose the smallest fix.

Dashed parts in <angle brackets> are yours. Type into them, or copy as-is and fill in later.