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Common Workflows

Copy-paste ready workflows for real situations. Learn by example.

Workflow 1: Client Meeting Prep

Scenario: Meeting with potential client tomorrow about AI strategy for their agency.

Goal: Show up prepared with relevant insights from your research.

Time: 10 minutes

The Process

1. Get the landscape

  • Ask: "What do I know about AI implementation challenges for agencies?"
  • Get: Overview of challenges, multiple perspectives, recurring themes

2. Get expert recommendations

  • Ask: "What does Ethan Mollick recommend for getting started with AI?"
  • Get: Tactical advice, frameworks, expert perspectives

3. Find practical steps

  • Ask: "What practical first steps for AI adoption have I captured?"
  • Get: Concrete actions, proven approaches, what works

4. Get real examples

  • Ask: "Find successful AI implementation examples in my research"
  • Get: Case studies, company examples, success patterns

5. Prepare for objections

  • Ask: "What common objections to AI adoption have I seen?"
  • Get: Anticipated pushback, counter-arguments, solutions

Result

Walk into the meeting with:

  • Context on challenges → Credibility
  • Expert recommendations → Authority
  • Tactical steps → Actionable value
  • Real examples → Proof points
  • Objection handling → Confidence

Value: Look like you've been studying this for months

Workflow 2: Weekly Content Creation

Scenario: Need to write newsletter/LinkedIn post about AI trends this week.

Goal: Create content backed by your curated research.

Time: 15-20 minutes

The Process

1. Survey recent insights

  • Ask: "What new AI developments have I captured in the last 2 weeks?"
  • Get: Recent trends, latest thinking, fresh angles

2. Identify themes

  • Ask: "What common themes appear across my recent newsletters?"
  • Get: Patterns across sources, emerging consensus, hot topics

3. Pick theme and get evidence

  • Ask: "Find examples and quotes about [theme] from my research"
  • Get: Supporting evidence, quotable experts, multiple perspectives

4. Draft outline

  • Ask: "Create outline about [theme] using Ben's Bites, The Batch, Simon"
  • Get: Structure, key points, natural flow

5. Use posty to draft

  • Ask: "Use posty to create LinkedIn post about [theme] from these insights"
  • Get: Draft in your voice, platform formatting, ready to post

Result

Content that:

  • Cites credible sources → Authority
  • Synthesizes perspectives → Depth
  • Takes a position → Point of view
  • Provides value → Not just news

Alternative: 2-3 hours manual research and writing

Workflow 3: Strategic Decision

Scenario: Deciding whether to build product A (AI audit tool) or product B (AI consulting service).

Goal: Make evidence-based decision using your research.

Time: 20 minutes

The Process

1. Get decision frameworks

  • Ask: "What have I learned about choosing between product strategies?"
  • Get: Decision frameworks, expert considerations, how others chose

2. Compare approaches

  • Ask: "Compare Lenny and Ben Thompson on product vs service models"
  • Get: Pros/cons, different perspectives, key tradeoffs

3. Check market signals

  • Ask: "What market trends for AI tools and services have I captured?"
  • Get: Demand signals, market maturity, competitive landscape

4. Get tactical insights

  • Ask: "What do I know about successful launches in AI space?"
  • Get: What worked, common mistakes, success patterns

5. Request 131 analysis

  • Ask: "131 analysis: Build AI audit tool or focus on consulting?"
  • Get: Problem defined, three options, one recommendation

Result

Decision backed by:

  • Multiple expert perspectives
  • Market evidence
  • Success patterns
  • Clear recommendation

Not based on: Gut feeling, yesterday's article, single opinion, hype

Workflow 4: Learning Deep Dive

Scenario: Need to quickly get up to speed on "agentic workflows" for upcoming project.

Goal: Comprehensive understanding in 30 minutes.

Time: 30 minutes

The Process

1. Survey what you know

  • Ask: "What do I already know about agentic workflows?"
  • Get: Baseline understanding, what you've captured, visible gaps

2. Get comprehensive coverage

  • Ask: "Give me everything I have on agentic workflows from all sources"
  • Get: Complete picture, chronological development, multiple angles

3. Cross-reference experts

  • Ask: "How do Ethan, Simon, and Anthropic explain agentic workflows differently?"
  • Get: Comparison of definitions, different mental models, agreement/disagreement

4. Get tactical examples

  • Ask: "What practical agentic workflow implementations have I captured?"
  • Get: Real-world applications, actual usage, what works in practice

5. Create summary

  • Ask: "Create comprehensive agentic workflows summary with key takeaways"
  • Get: Synthesized understanding, key concepts, actionable insights

Result

In 30 minutes:

  • Comprehensive understanding
  • Multiple perspectives
  • Practical examples
  • Ready to discuss intelligently

Alternative: Reading 10+ articles for 3+ hours

Workflow 5: Inbox Processing

Scenario: Daily capture of thoughts, ideas, and tasks.

Goal: Capture quickly, process efficiently, never lose ideas.

Time: 30 seconds to capture, 5 minutes daily to process

Throughout the Day: Capture

Drop notes in !inbox/ with action keyword prefix:

  • write post: [idea] → Draft post
  • video script: [topic] → Video script
  • todo: [task] → Structured todo
  • research: [question] → Research task
  • course: [topic] → Course outline
  • claude: [request] → Execute immediately

End of Day: Process

Ask: "Process the inbox"

The inboxy agent:

  1. Reads all !inbox/ files
  2. Detects action keywords
  3. Routes to appropriate handlers
  4. Creates structured outputs
  5. Files appropriately
  6. Cleans up inbox

Result

  • Frictionless capture → No context switching
  • Automatic routing → Smart processing
  • Nothing lost → All filed appropriately
  • Clear actions → Todos created

Full keyword list: See .claude/agents/inboxy.md

Workflow 6: Find That Thing

Scenario: "I read something about prompt engineering but can't remember where..."

Goal: Find specific content from your research.

Time: 30 seconds

Search Strategies

By topic (all sources)

  • Ask: "Search my research for prompt engineering best practices"

By source (specific expert)

  • Ask: "What has Ethan Mollick said about prompt engineering?"

By timeframe (recent only)

  • Ask: "What did I capture about prompt engineering in the last month?"

By content type (targeted)

  • Ask: "Search my YouTube transcripts for few-shot prompting"

Funnel: Broad → Specific

  1. "What do I know about prompting strategies?" (wide net)
  2. "What does Simon Willison recommend specifically?" (focused)
  3. "Show me specific examples of good prompts" (tactical)

Result

Find the insight in 30 seconds instead of 30 minutes.

Workflow 7: Competitive Research

Scenario: Researching competitor positioning and strategy.

Goal: Compile intelligence from your research sources.

Time: 15 minutes

The Process

1. Direct mentions

  • Ask: "Search my research for any mentions of [competitor name]"
  • Get: Direct references, context, quotes

2. Market positioning

  • Ask: "What do I know about positioning strategies in [market/category]?"
  • Get: Positioning approaches, strategies, examples

3. Pricing intelligence

  • Ask: "What pricing models have I captured for [product category]?"
  • Get: Pricing strategies, models, comparisons

4. Feature comparison

  • Ask: "What features are mentioned as important in [category]?"
  • Get: Key features, capabilities, differentiators

5. Compile report

  • Ask: "Create competitive intelligence summary for [competitor]"
  • Get: Comprehensive brief from curated sources

Result

Competitive brief compiled from your research.

Workflow 8: Prepare for Podcast/Interview

Scenario: Going on a podcast to discuss AI and automation.

Goal: Be prepared with insights and examples.

Time: 15 minutes

The Process

1. Core themes

  • Ask: "What are the key themes in my AI research across all sources?"
  • Get: Main themes, recurring topics, core ideas

2. Hot takes

  • Ask: "What controversial or non-obvious insights have I captured about AI?"
  • Get: Contrarian views, unique angles, interesting positions

3. Examples and stories

  • Ask: "Find specific AI implementation examples or case studies"
  • Get: Real examples, case studies, stories to tell

4. Expert quotes

  • Ask: "What memorable AI quotes from Ethan, Ben, or Simon?"
  • Get: Quotable insights, attributable wisdom, expert perspectives

5. Talking points

  • Ask: "Create 5 key talking points about practical AI adoption"
  • Get: Structured points, clear messages, memorable takeaways

Result

Walk in prepared with:

  • Clear themes
  • Interesting angles
  • Real examples
  • Quotable experts
  • Strong talking points

Workflow 9: Course/Talk Creation

Scenario: Creating a talk or course module about AI agents.

Goal: Outline backed by research.

Time: 30 minutes

The Process

1. Gather comprehensive knowledge

  • Ask: "Everything I know about AI agents from all sources"
  • Get: Complete knowledge base, all perspectives, comprehensive coverage

2. Identify structure

  • Ask: "What are the key concepts someone needs to understand about AI agents?"
  • Get: Core concepts, learning progression, essential knowledge

3. Find teaching examples

  • Ask: "What practical examples or demos of AI agents have I captured?"
  • Get: Teaching examples, demonstrations, real applications

4. Get common mistakes

  • Ask: "What misconceptions or mistakes about AI agents have I seen?"
  • Get: Common errors, misconceptions, pitfalls to avoid

5. Create outline

  • Ask: "Create talk outline about AI agents: intro, 3 key concepts, examples, mistakes"
  • Get: Research-backed outline ready to develop

Result

Research-backed outline ready to develop.

Workflow 10: Monthly Review

Scenario: End of month, want to synthesize what you learned.

Goal: Big picture patterns and insights.

Time: 20 minutes

The Process

1. Survey the month

  • Ask: "What are the key themes from my research over the last 30 days?"
  • Get: Main themes, focus areas, what dominated

2. Spot patterns

  • Ask: "What topics appeared multiple times from different sources this month?"
  • Get: Recurring themes, cross-source patterns, emerging consensus

3. Track evolution

  • Ask: "How has thinking on [key topic] evolved over the last few months?"
  • Get: Trend analysis, evolution of thinking, trajectory

4. Find gaps

  • Ask: "What questions came up that I haven't found good answers to yet?"
  • Get: Knowledge gaps, unanswered questions, research opportunities

5. Create monthly brief

  • Ask: "Create monthly research summary: insights, themes, notable quotes"
  • Get: Monthly synthesis document

Result

Monthly synthesis to:

  • Share with team
  • Post to community
  • Guide your focus
  • Track learning over time

Pro Tips Across All Workflows

Start with brain-advisor for Strategic Questions

For any "what should I..." or "how do I..." question, start with brain-advisor:

"Use brain-advisor to research: [your strategic question]"

It searches your indexed knowledge automatically.

Use grep/glob for Specific Searches

When you know exactly what you're looking for:

# Find specific file
glob "**/*prompt-engineering*"

# Search for exact phrase
grep "few-shot" research/newsletters/

Faster for needle-in-haystack searches.

Process Inbox Daily

Keep capture-analyze cycle tight:

  • Morning: Capture thoughts as they come
  • Evening: Process inbox
  • Don't let inbox pile up

Reference Sources in Output

When sharing insights:

"Create a summary about [topic] with source citations"

Adds credibility and lets others explore deeper.

Chain Workflows

Combine workflows for complex tasks:

  1. Learning deep dive (understand topic)
  2. Client meeting prep (apply to client)
  3. Content creation (share insights)

One research session, multiple outputs.

Build Your Own

These are starting points. Adapt to your needs.

Save workflows that work in your own documentation:

touch ~/my-workflows.md

Document what works for you.

Next: When stuff breaks, fix it fast →

Quick Reference

Copy-paste workflows:

  1. Client meeting prep (10 min)
  2. Weekly content creation (15 min)
  3. Strategic decision (20 min)
  4. Learning deep dive (30 min)
  5. Inbox processing (5 min daily)
  6. Find that thing (30 sec)
  7. Competitive research (15 min)
  8. Podcast prep (15 min)
  9. Course/talk creation (30 min)
  10. Monthly review (20 min)

Common patterns:

  • Start with brain-advisor
  • Broad → specific
  • Multiple perspectives
  • Evidence → decision
  • Capture → process → act

Inbox action keywords:

  • write post, video script, email
  • todo, idea, research
  • script, fix, course, talk
  • claude (execute now)

Pro tips:

  • Process inbox daily
  • Reference sources
  • Chain workflows
  • Build your own
  • Document what works
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