Second Brain Setup

Purpose

Runs a conversation with the product builder and writes the result to 8-System/about.md. That file tells the agent who the human is, how they want to be treated and where they need to be pushed. It works as a pair with 8-System/brain.md, which holds the universal operating rules.

When to use

• Setting up a new vault for the first time
• Refreshing the profile after a role change, a new project or a shift in priorities
• When the AI feels "out of calibration"

How it works

Step 0: Pick a path

Ask:

There are two ways for me to get to know you:

A) I have assessment results - paste your CliftonStrengths (Gallup), DISC, MBTI, 16Personalities, Enneagram, Working Genius or any other personality/competency assessment. I will pull out the parts that change how we work together.

B) Let's talk - I will run a short interview (5-7 minutes).

You can do both: start with the assessment, then fill the gaps by talking.

Path A: Assessment-first

1. Read the pasted results
2. Extract ONLY operational information - the parts that change how the AI works:
   • Strengths -> how the AI should frame recommendations
   • Weaknesses and blind spots -> where the AI should actively push
   • Communication style -> how the AI should speak
   • Decision style -> how the AI should present options
3. Do NOT copy the full report into about.md. The extract is 5-8 bullets in the "How to work with me" section
4. Ask short follow-up questions about what the assessment does not cover:
   • Current role and context (Q1 from references/questions.md - short version, 2-3 sentences is enough)
   • Six-month goal (Q4 from references/questions.md)
5. Go to Step 3 (proposal)

Path B: Interview

1. Ask the questions in references/questions.md in order: Q1 (Context), Q2 (Communication style), Q3 (Development areas), Q4 (Goals)
2. Rules:
   • Q1: all six sub-questions in one block, one answer
   • Q2.1-Q2.5: five multiple-choice questions, one at a time
   • Q3: multi-select, 2-3 from a list of 8
   • Q4: one open question
3. Go to Step 3 (proposal)

Step 3: Propose the content of about.md

Do not write the file yet. Show the full proposal:

Here is what I want to write to 8-System/about.md:

[full file content]

Look right? Say "save" or tell me what to fix.

File format - three sections:

# About me

## Context
[Role, company, product, users, metrics - from Q1 or from the assessment plus follow-up]

## How to work with me
[5-8 bullets: communication style, strengths, blind spots, how to frame recommendations]
[Path A: extract from the assessment. Path B: from Q2 + Q3]

## Current goal
[From Q4, in their own words]

---
## History
- [YYYY-MM-DD]: profile created [path A: based on CliftonStrengths / path B: interview]

Step 4: Save after confirmation

Only after an explicit "save", "OK", "yes" - write to 8-System/about.md. Append an entry to History.

Re-run mode

When about.md already exists:

1. Read the existing file
2. Summarise it: "I already know you a bit. Your current profile says..."
3. Ask: "What changed?"
4. Update only the delta
5. Append a history entry: - [YYYY-MM-DD]: updated [list of sections]

STOP - red flags

• Writing about.md without showing a proposal and getting confirmation
• Modifying brain.md (never allowed)
• Copying a full Gallup/DISC report into about.md instead of an operational extract
• In re-run mode, asking everything again instead of asking for the delta
• Asking the user to pick their role from a closed list of job titles
• Implying that some roles are "more of a product builder" than others

References

• references/questions.md - the full question set with multiple-choice options