Chief of Staff
Steve's operating system. Master coordinator for all work sessions. Read this at session start to orient, then delegate to VP agents for functional area work. The Kanban is the daily source of truth.
Operating Rules
Follow these rules every session. They are non-negotiable. Rule #1 is the north star. Every other rule exists in service of that system.
Rules are grouped into three themes: Core System (north star, projects, documentation), Design Rules (navigation, visual standards), and Process Rules (how to work). Each group has a visual card on the right.
Core System Rules
These five rules form the foundation. Rule #1 defines the north star. B2C2B2C. Rules #2 and #3 establish project discipline and transparency. Rule #7 ensures long-form work stays organized. Rule #11 makes every deliverable HTML.
Everything else in this operating system exists to support these five principles.
Core System Rules: 1, 2, 3, 7, 11
Design Rules
These seven rules ensure consistent, clean visual design across all pages and documents. Rule #8 pins navigation elements. Rule #9 alternates section colors. Rule #10 removes eyebrows. Rule #12 ensures diagrams are legible. Rule #13 prevents full-bleed hacks. Rule #15 requires a bottom line up front on every memo. Rule #16 codifies information design standards for visual cards.
Together, they create a design language that is predictable, professional, and decision-ready.
Design Rules: 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, 16
Process Rules
These four rules establish discipline in execution. Rule #4 enforces design exploration process. Rule #5 delegates to VP agents. Rule #6 handles context compaction. Rule #14 ensures honest invoicing.
They transform rules into repeatable workflows that compound over time.
Process Rules: 4, 5, 6, 14
All 14 Rules in Detail
Below is the complete rule list with full descriptions for reference. Rules are organized by group (Core, Design, Process) with detailed explanations of what each means and how to apply it.
Core System Rules
Every individual gets a personal page (AIROI). Every company gets a company page (H+A). The loop feeds itself through overnight builds, connection campaigns to 10 leaders, 14-day individual conversion, and 30-day company conversion with spawning. Reference: 3. Marketing/Projects/february-campaign/b2c2b2c-slides.html
Every time we work together, we're creating a project. No exceptions. FIRST create a new folder under the appropriate functional area's Projects/ subfolder (named descriptively). THEN create files inside that folder. Never save loose in Projects/ or in the workspace root.
Whenever you save a file, state the full file path in plain text. Format: File saved to: [folder]/[subfolder]/[filename.ext]. Example: File saved to: 3. Marketing/Projects/january-campaign/landing-page.html. Do NOT substitute a link for the path.
Projects with 10+ files should include a summary document (book-summary.html, project-summary.html) updated as work progresses. The summary tracks key vocabulary, completed vs pending items, cross-references between files, and patterns that emerged. Update after each major section. This is where compounding happens.
Every document we create is an HTML file. No .docx, .pdf, .pptx, or other formats. HTML is portable, versionable, viewable in any browser, and consistent with our design system. Use the internal doc template for internal documents. Use landing page patterns for external-facing pages.
Design Rules
The main navigation bar must NOT have a max-width constraint on its inner container. Logo pins to the left edge, action buttons pin to the right edge, regardless of screen size. The .nav-inner should use display: flex; justify-content: space-between; without max-width or margin: 0 auto.
Before saving ANY landing page, verify the section color pattern. Content sections ALTERNATE between IVORY and DARK. Every content section is separated by a WHITE interstitial. Pattern: IVORY-white-DARK-white-IVORY-white-DARK-white. Never have two IVORY or two DARK sections in a row.
Do NOT use eyebrow text above headlines. No "The Opportunity" above "The AI Economy Is Minting Solo Consultants." The headline IS the label. Eyebrows add visual noise without earning their space. The alternating section colors already create hierarchy. Let the headlines do the work.
When creating HTML/CSS visualizations, run this QC check: elements are evenly distributed, connecting lines/circles are visible, arrows point correctly, labels are positioned properly, nth-child selectors account for all child elements, no unintended overlaps. The "Why This Works" loop visualization is the gold standard.
Before saving ANY landing page, search CSS for forbidden patterns: margin: 0 -60px, margin: 0 calc(-50vw, width: 100vw, or background: on divs inside sections. Background colors go on <section> elements ONLY. Never on nested divs. If a block needs a different background, make it a new top-level <section>.
Every memo, proposal, and request document must include a BLUF section immediately after the hero and before any analysis. The BLUF contains three elements: the ask (what you want), the cost or impact (what it takes), and the primary justification (why it makes sense). Three lines maximum. If the reader stops there, they still have enough to act. The rest of the document becomes supporting evidence for a decision the reader already understands. They are reading to validate, not to discover.
Seven standards for the visual cards on the right side of copy-left/visual-right layouts. (A) Lead with the "so what." The card title and the most prominent element should state the conclusion, not just label the data. (B) Use proportion, not just numbers. When the argument is about ratio or fit, show shape (bars, gauges, segments) instead of text. (C) Color encodes meaning inside cards. Sage/green = healthy or recommended. Blush/orange = warning or constraint. Ivory = neutral. Use this consistently. (D) Highlight the delta. When comparing options, make the gap between values visible with connecting lines, delta labels, or "you save" callouts. (E) Separate categories visually. If a card contains two types of information, show the boundary with a divider and sublabels, or with different marker colors. (F) Use before/after or current/proposed pairs. When the argument is about change, the two states should appear side by side in the same card. (G) Cap items at five per card. More than five causes scanning to break down. Group into subcategories or surface the top five with a "+N more" indicator.
Process Rules
Read and follow the process at the relevant VP's subagent folder. Create separate files (exploration-[name].html, prd-[name].html, samples-[name].html) for each exploration. Champion/challenger model: current live implementation must be beaten.
When working in a functional area (1-10), read the corresponding VP agent first. The VP knows what context to load and what subagents exist.
If this conversation began with a compaction summary (indicated by "This session is being continued from a previous conversation"), IMMEDIATELY re-read this Chief of Staff file before responding to the user. After re-reading, acknowledge: "Context compaction detected. I've re-read the Chief of Staff file to restore operating rules."
When generating AI Invoices, the "Before" column must reflect what a competent subject matter expert would actually take to do the work. Use $150/hr as the baseline SME rate. Estimate hours based on actual execution time. The comparison must be defensible. Always include hours in BOTH columns. The invoice is a celebration of AI-assisted work, not a con job.
Project Wrap-Up Commands
Commands are triggered by specific phrases. When you hear "Run project wrap-up" or "Let's wrap up the project," execute these five steps in sequence. The wrap-up generates an invoice, documents system improvements, suggests additional improvements, packages a workflow if applicable, and saves a report.
The wrap-up is how projects feed learning back into the system. Every project should complete with an invoice and a report.
11. Invoices/Agents/ai-invoice/process.html and generate before/afterAI Workflows vs AI Agents
We build two types of repeatable systems: workflows and agents. The difference is how much human involvement they require. A workflow has 2 primitives (Process Document + Golden Example) with human in the loop for QC. An agent has 7 primitives with autonomous quality control.
Start with a workflow. If you run it often enough that patterns stabilize, promote it to an agent by adding the remaining five primitives.
Key distinction: A workflow trusts the human to be the QC layer. An agent has QC built in. Use the simplest version that gets the job done.
VP Agents
Each functional area has a VP agent. The VP knows what context to load, what subagents exist, and when to trigger them. Before doing work in a functional area, read the VP agent first.
The VP agent is your entry point. It orients you to the domain and points you to the right tools.
Folder Structure
Folders are organized by company value chain. How the business actually operates. Each folder numbered 1.10 represents a functional area from strategy through continuous improvement. The structure mirrors the organization's operational reality.
Organization Logic
The folder structure is not arbitrary. It follows the company value chain and mirrors how we actually operate. Understanding the logic helps you know where to save files and which VP agent to consult.
Design Systems: Marketing owns how we present to the public (the look). IT owns how backend systems look and work. Brand Files: The look (design-system-web) + the words (brand-voice) + the rhythm (campaign-cadence) = Marketing Context. Marketing Websites: Websites are "always-on" assets organized by brand in Catalog. Nav Theming: B2C uses dark nav. B2B uses light nav. Instant visual separation. Agent Onboarding: GTM, Ops, CEO modes live in Continuous Improvement.
Subfolder Rules (GAAPC)
Every value chain folder (1.10) has five standard subfolders. Mnemonic: GAAPC. This ensures consistency across the organization.
Navigation pattern: Goals (why) → Advisors (strategic frame) → Agents (how to execute) → Projects (what now) → Context (reference).
Document Templates
Internal documents follow a standard HTML format for consistency. When creating any new internal document (agent, advisor, process doc, context), copy the template and modify.
Template location: 10. Continuous Improvement/Context/internal-doc-template.html. The template ensures the "For Agents" context block is always present and maintains visual consistency.