/Brain
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Getting Started

Build the smallest useful /Brain first: identity, current context, durable memory, and one lightweight capture path.

Start small

Your first /Brain does not need a complex directory tree. It needs four things:

  1. a clear identity file
  2. a current-context file
  3. one durable memory file
  4. one place to capture raw input quickly

That is enough to start sessions better and improve the system over time.

Recommended first structure

Brain/
├── MEMORY.md
├── context/
│   └── now.md
├── me/
│   └── WORKING_WITH_ME.md
└── _inbox/

You can add more folders later when the need becomes obvious.

First setup pass

Write only what will change the next session:

  • In me/WORKING_WITH_ME.md, describe how you make decisions, what kind of responses are useful, and what usually wastes your time.
  • In context/now.md, list current priorities, active projects, constraints, and tensions.
  • In MEMORY.md, capture only durable truths that should stay true beyond this week.
  • In _inbox/, capture raw thoughts without trying to organize them perfectly.

First-week routine

Start each session by loading the core files. Capture thoughts quickly instead of relying on memory. Review _inbox/ at least once before the week ends, and promote only the durable parts into MEMORY.md or deeper files.

Common mistakes

  • Creating ten folders before you have ten real use cases
  • Writing an identity file full of self-description but no workflow guidance
  • Using MEMORY.md as a daily scratchpad
  • Avoiding capture because the filing system feels too heavy

Next steps