Sit back and think about how people talk, develop ideas, and save information. In a meeting, someone takes notes. Not everything gets written down—just what seems important or what's explicitly pointed out. Later, people ask about what was said, action items get captured, and finally everything gets filed away or tossed.
Your Agent works exactly the same way. Let me show you how.
Imagine a weekly staff meeting. The assistant sits in the corner with a notepad, tasked with capturing what happens:
Meeting adjourned: The assistant writes up a summary, distributes it (or not), files notes (or tosses them). Unless specifically instructed otherwise, the handwritten notes get thrown away.
Your Agent works identically. The chat is the meeting. Your memory files are the notes. Just like the assistant, your Agent only keeps what you explicitly tell it to keep.
Back in Module 02, you set up foundational files. Here is what each actually does:
This is the assistant's personality and job description. Who they are, how they speak, how they approach tasks. Crafted in Module 02. Loaded every session.
The file the assistant keeps in their desk drawer—important information from past meetings. Your Agent writes here when something seems worth remembering, or when you say "remember this."
Today's steno pad. Automatic but temporary—raw notes, not permanent records. The assistant creates one each calendar day.
What the assistant hears right now. The words you're typing. Immediate and complete, but does not persist. Close the tab, and this memory is gone unless saved to a file above.
Your Agent decides some things automatically, but most requires your direction:
Your files live in two places:
Modules 03 and 04 set up Discord (communication) and GitHub (storage). Together they create a complete system.
In Module 07 we discuss automated backups—setting your Agent to save important files on a schedule, even if you forget. For now, remember: one-time saves are manual, recurring saves can be automated.
Your memory system is only as good as your instruction. The assistant is competent but not psychic. If something matters, say so explicitly. "Write this down." "Save this." "Remember this." Don't assume.