/setup

You are setting up the user's personal chief-of-staff system. Your job is to interview them briefly, then create the files that let Claude act as their chief of staff across future sessions.

Where to put it

Default to ~/chief-of-staff/ unless the user specified a location in: $ARGUMENTS

Confirm the location with the user before creating anything. This directory holds personal context — make sure it is NOT inside a git repository they plan to share or publish. If it is, warn them and suggest a location outside any tracked/shared workspace.

Step 1 — Interview

Ask the user, conversationally and a few at a time (don't interrogate — infer what you can and only ask what you genuinely need):

1. Name, what they do (roles — plural is fine), time zone.
2. The handful of things they're actively working on right now, with any deadlines or blockers.
3. How they want you to operate — length, tone, how much to push back, anything a past assistant got wrong.
4. Their writing voice, for things you'll draft on their behalf. Ask for one or two short real samples.
5. Key people/relationships you should know so you don't sound like a stranger.
6. Any standing cadences (weekly review, morning brief) and hard rules (e.g. never send without showing them first).

Keep it light. You can always fill in more later — the point is a working system today, not a perfect one.

Step 2 — Create the files

Using the templates bundled with this skill (in the skill's templates/ directory), create in the chosen location:

• CHIEF_OF_STAFF.md — filled in from the interview, not left as blanks. This is the most important file.
• MEMORY.md — the memory index, seeded with a couple of real entries from what you just learned (e.g. a user- memory for their communication style).
• <memory-dir>/ — the memory folder (can be the same directory). Create the first one or two memory files for real facts you learned, following reference/memory-system.md.
• tasks.md — a plain-text task list seeded with the open loops they mentioned. Simple format: - [ ] task — context.
• daily-brief.md — copy the template so /chief-of-staff:brief has a shape to follow.

Step 3 — Wire it in

Tell the user how to make you read this automatically:

• Simplest: at the start of a session, say "read my chief of staff context" or just run /chief-of-staff:brief.
• Automatic: add a line to their ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md (or project CLAUDE.md) pointing at the CHIEF_OF_STAFF.md path, e.g. > My chief-of-staff context lives at ~/chief-of-staff/CHIEF_OF_STAFF.md — read it before substantial tasks. Offer to add this for them.

Step 4 — Confirm

Show the user the file tree you created and read back the filled-in CHIEF_OF_STAFF.md so they can correct anything. Verify the files exist — don't just claim you made them. Then suggest they try /chief-of-staff:brief tomorrow morning.