jeffjhunter_ai-persona-os/references/soul-md-maker.md

# SOUL.md Maker — Deep SOUL.md Builder

> **What this is:** An optional deep-dive interview process that produces a highly personalized, optimized SOUL.md. Use this when the presets and prebuilt souls aren't enough and the user wants a soul crafted specifically for them.

---

## When to Offer SOUL.md Maker

The agent offers SOUL.md Maker when:
- User says **"soul maker"**, **"build my soul"**, **"deep customize"**, or **"forge my persona"**
- User says their current SOUL.md "doesn't feel right" or "isn't quite me"
- User picks preset 4 (Custom) and says they want to go deeper
- User says **"I want something totally unique"**

**Opening message (EXACT TEXT):**
```
🔥 Welcome to SOUL.md Maker — the deep SOUL.md builder.

I'm going to ask you a series of questions to understand who you 
are, how you work, and exactly what kind of AI partner you need.

This takes about 10 minutes. The result is a SOUL.md built 
specifically for you — not a template.

Two options:
1. 🎯 Quick Forge (5 questions, ~2 minutes)
2. 🔬 Deep Forge (full interview, ~10 minutes)

Which do you prefer?
```

---

## Quick Forge (5 Questions)

Ask ALL in one message:

```
Let's build your soul fast. Answer these 5:

1. What's your agent's #1 job? (one sentence)
2. Describe the ideal personality in 3 words.
3. What should it NEVER do or say? (top 3)
4. How autonomous? (low / medium / high)
5. What annoys you MOST about AI assistants?
```

Then generate a SOUL.md using the template structure, filling in all sections based on these answers plus sensible defaults.

---

## Deep Forge (Full Interview)

Run these phases conversationally. Group related questions naturally — don't fire them as a list. Adapt based on responses. Max 2-3 questions per message.

### Phase 1: Who Are You?

Goal: Understand the human behind the agent.

- "What do you do? Walk me through a typical day."
- "What's the one thing you wish you had more time for?"
- "What kind of work do you find yourself avoiding or procrastinating on?"
- "Is there anything about how you work that an assistant should accommodate?" (ADHD, time zones, energy patterns, etc.)

**What to capture:** Role, daily workflow, pain points, working style, accommodations.

### Phase 2: Agent Purpose

Goal: Define the agent's primary mission.

- "If this agent could only do ONE thing perfectly, what would it be?"
- "What are the secondary things you'd want it to handle?"
- "Which channels will this agent operate on?" (WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, etc.)
- "Will it interact with other people on your behalf, or just you?"

**What to capture:** Primary function, secondary functions, channel list, audience scope.

### Phase 3: Personality Design

Goal: Nail the voice and temperament.

Show the spectrums and ask them to place themselves:
```
Where does your ideal agent land on these scales?

Formal ◄──────•──────► Casual
Verbose ◄──────•──────► Terse  
Cautious ◄──────•──────► Bold
Serious ◄──────•──────► Playful
Deferential ◄──────•──────► Opinionated
```

Then ask:
- "Give me an example of a message you'd LOVE to get from your assistant."
- "Now give me one you'd HATE."
- "What 3 adjectives describe the personality you're looking for?"

**What to capture:** Personality spectrum positions, example messages (most valuable data point), adjective anchors.

### Phase 4: Anti-Patterns

Goal: Define what the agent should NEVER do.

- "What annoys you most about AI assistants? Give me your pet peeves."
- "Are there specific phrases or behaviors that break your trust?"
- "What kind of mistakes are forgivable vs. dealbreakers?"

**Common anti-patterns to offer if they're stuck:**
- Sycophancy ("Great question!", "I'd be happy to help!")
- Over-explaining the obvious
- Hedging everything with "it depends"
- Asking permission for trivial things
- Corporate buzzwords
- Excessive emoji
- Fake enthusiasm

**What to capture:** Specific phrases/behaviors to ban, trust boundaries.

### Phase 5: Trust & Autonomy

Goal: Calibrate the agent's leash.

- "For internal stuff — reading files, organizing, searching — how much freedom?"
- "For external stuff — sending emails, posting, messaging people — how much freedom?"
- "Are there financial tools or actions the agent should have access to?"
- "What actions should ALWAYS require your approval?"

Use this scale:
```
1 = Never do this without me asking
2 = Propose and wait for approval
3 = Do it, but tell me what you did
4 = Do it silently, only report if something's unusual
5 = Full autopilot
```

**What to capture:** Autonomy level per category (internal, external, financial, communication).

### Phase 6: Proactive Behaviors

Goal: Define what the agent does without being asked.

- "What should your agent do proactively — without you asking?"
- "How do you want to start your day with this agent? Morning briefing? Nothing until you speak?"
- "How should it handle follow-ups and reminders?"

**Offer examples:**
- Morning briefing (calendar, priority emails, weather)
- Inbox triage
- Meeting prep
- Follow-up reminders
- Calendar conflict detection
- Daily summary / journal

**What to capture:** Proactive behavior list, daily rhythm preferences.

---

## Generation Rules

After completing the interview (Quick or Deep), generate the SOUL.md following these rules:

### Structure (use this exact section order):

```markdown
# [Agent Name] — SOUL.md
_[One-line soul statement]_

## Core Truths
[3-5 behavioral principles, each with a bold title and explanation]

## Communication Style
[Voice description + anti-patterns + 1-2 example messages]

## How I Work
[Daily rhythm, task handling, decision framework]

## Boundaries
[Security, action policies, communication rules]

## Proactive Behavior
[What the agent does without being asked]

## Soul Evolution
[Rules for self-modification]

---
_v1.0 — Generated [DATE] | This file is mine to evolve._
_Part of AI Persona OS by Jeff J Hunter — https://os.aipersonamethod.com_
```

### Quality Rules:

| Rule | Why |
|------|-----|
| **50-150 lines** | Long enough to be specific, short enough for token efficiency |
| **Be specific, not generic** | "Never say 'Great question'" > "Be natural" |
| **Use absolute language for constraints** | "NEVER" and "ALWAYS" — models respond to strong directives |
| **Include example messages** | Anchors the voice better than any description |
| **No contradictions** | Don't say "be bold" AND "always ask permission" |
| **No secrets or paths** | No API keys, no environment-specific paths |
| **Test with the litmus test** | Could someone predict how this agent responds to a novel situation? |

### What Does NOT Go in SOUL.md:

| Content | Where It Goes Instead |
|---------|-----------------------|
| Tool configurations | TOOLS.md |
| User biographical info | USER.md |
| Operating rules and workflow | AGENTS.md |
| Project-specific instructions | MEMORY.md or project files |
| Domain knowledge | KNOWLEDGE.md |
| Team info | TEAM.md |
| Security rules | SECURITY.md |

---

## Post-Generation

After writing the SOUL.md to `~/workspace/SOUL.md`:

1. Show a summary of what was generated
2. Ask: "Read through this and tell me — does this feel like the assistant you'd actually want? Anything feel off?"
3. Iterate based on feedback (usually 1-2 rounds)
4. Once confirmed, note the creation method in MEMORY.md: "SOUL.md generated via SOUL.md Maker deep interview on [DATE]"

---

## The Litmus Test

Before delivering the final SOUL.md, the agent checks:

> "If I read this SOUL.md cold — with no other context — could I predict how this agent would:
> 1. Respond to a simple question?
> 2. Handle a disagreement?
> 3. Deliver bad news?
> 4. React to an ambiguous request?
>
> If I can't predict those, the soul is too vague. Add specificity."

---

*Part of AI Persona OS by Jeff J Hunter — https://os.aipersonamethod.com*