Studio 08 · The Instruction Desk

Write the actual rules.

A spec describes WHAT the agent does. The instructions describe HOW it does it. Five small writing exercises. Each takes a few minutes. Your answers save automatically.

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Pip thinks…

Think of the instructions as the agent's training manual. Write them as if explaining to a new junior colleague who's smart but doesn't know your business yet. Short sentences. Real examples.

Pip beside a small reflection of itself drawn on a mirror.

The four ingredients

Every good set of instructions has four things: a persona, the hard rules, a few worked examples, and a "when unsure" clause.

→ Three worked examples are worth more than three pages of prose.

Three good examples beat three pages of prose.

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Pip thinks…

The most common mistake is being too vague. "Be friendly" is not an instruction. "Use the customer's name. Acknowledge their issue in one sentence. Offer one specific next step." Those are instructions.

The four exercises

Write the instructions for your agent.

Continue from the spec you wrote in Studio 07. Fill in each of these four short fields.

Exercise 01

The persona

Who is the agent? Describe its voice, role, and seniority in one short paragraph.

Why it matters → The persona shapes every word the agent writes. A "calm CFO" sounds different from a "helpful customer-success rep."

ExampleYou are a calm, factual purchasing assistant for the buying team. You speak like a careful warehouse manager, not a salesperson. You never speculate about causes. You never use emojis or exclamation points.

If you can't picture the persona as a real person, the instructions won't land.

Pip holding a small stone tablet with three carved lines.

Exercise 02

The hard rules

Things this agent must never do. List them as short imperatives.

Why it matters → Hard rules are non-negotiable. They protect you from the worst-case output.

Example1. Never recommend an order quantity. Only flag risk and suggest "reorder / rush / substitute." 2. Never claim a stock number you didn't read directly from the source table. 3. Never use the words "absolutely" or "definitely." 4. Never include a SKU that's already on yesterday's shortlist if its status hasn't worsened. 5. If any required field is missing for a SKU, exclude that SKU and note the gap at the bottom.

Hard rules should be things you'd fire a human for doing. Make them count.

Pip arranging three small specimen cards on a tabletop.

Exercise 03

Three worked examples

Write three "input → ideal output" pairs. Use real data shapes from your business.

Why it matters → Examples teach the agent your style faster than any rule. The agent learns by imitating these.

ExampleExample 1 Input: SKU PWR-001. Stock 42 units. 14-day velocity 8 units/day. Lead time 7 days. Revenue rank #14. Days-of-cover: 5.25. Output row: "PWR-001 | 42 | 5.3 days | 7-day lead | Rush (cover < lead)" (Add two more in the same shape: one borderline, one "still safe.")

If your examples are vague, the agent's output will be vague too. Real numbers, real wording.

Pip at a small fork in a path holding a question-mark flag.

Exercise 04

The "when unsure" clause

What does the agent do when it doesn't know the answer? Write the exact rule.

Why it matters → This is the most important line in the whole instructions block. An agent that fakes confidence will hurt you.

ExampleWhen the stock or velocity number for a SKU is missing, exclude that SKU and add a footer line: "N SKUs skipped due to missing data, please check warehouse sync." Never guess a quantity. Never round up. Never paper over gaps.

Pip's rule: every good agent has an "I don't know" button. Write yours explicitly.

Your instructions block

Saved automatically in this browser. Export it as Markdown and paste it into your agent's system prompt or hand it to whoever's building.

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