---
name: brain-setup
description: "Load the Gary Vaynerchuk brain. Pack ships 10 unified skills in pack/skills/ — 1 router (/brain) + 8 reasoning modes (/advise, /teach, /debate, /connect, /evolve, /surprise, /coach, /predict) + /board (multi-brain advisory) — that work with this brain and any other installed BrainsFor brain."
---

# Gary Vaynerchuk Brain Pack — Setup & Configuration

Welcome to the **Vaynerchuk Brain Pack** from [brainsforagents.com](https://brainsforagents.com). This is a premium knowledge asset extracted from Gary Vaynerchuk's keynotes, interviews, books, podcasts, and social content (2009-2026) — a curated collection of his thinking on attention, content, hustle, self-awareness, entrepreneurship, and the emotional traits that actually build lasting businesses.

## What You're Getting

- **929 knowledge atoms** — Core insights, frameworks, and strategic principles from Crush It!, Jab Jab Jab Right Hook, Ask Gary Vee, Crushing It!, Twelve and a Half, Day Trading Attention, DailyVee, GaryVee Audio Experience, The Tea With GaryVee, Joe Rogan Experience #910, Tim Ferriss collaborations, Marie Forleo interviews, SXSW 2014 and 2016 keynotes, Web Summit 2016 keynote, VaynerMedia keynotes, CNBC interviews, Adweek profiles, and millions of pieces of social content
- **848 typed connections** — Relationships between ideas (supports, contradicts, extends, related, inspired_by)
- **8 specialized thinking skills** — Each a distinct reasoning mode with a unique output type
- **A `/board` of advisors** — Convene this brain alongside your other installed brains for one question (needs 2+ brains)
- **Cross-referenced topics** — attention arbitrage, jab jab jab right hook, document don't create, kind candor, personal brand, social media strategy, self-awareness, macro patience micro speed, and more

This brain is designed to augment YOUR thinking — not replace it. Use it for strategic decisions, creative problem-solving, research, and to challenge your assumptions.

---

## Setup Instructions

### Step 1: Verify Installation

Your Vaynerchuk Brain Pack folder should contain:

```
pack/
  ├── SKILL.md                 ← you are here (brain-setup)
  ├── brain-context.md         ← full knowledge base + usage guide
  ├── brain-atoms.json         ← structured atoms (929 insights)
  ├── README.md                ← quick reference
  └── skills/                  ← 10 unified skills (work with any installed brain)
      ├── brain/               ← /brain router (set/show/list/clear active brain)
      ├── advise/              ← /advise — strategic counsel
      ├── teach/               ← /teach — explain through the thinker's lens
      ├── debate/              ← /debate — steel-man both sides
      ├── connect/             ← /connect — find unexpected bridges
      ├── evolve/              ← /evolve — trace how thinking changed
      ├── surprise/            ← /surprise — serendipity engine
      ├── coach/               ← /coach — Socratic questioning
      ├── predict/             ← /predict — implication chains
      └── board/               ← /board — board of advisors (needs 2+ brains)
```

The `skills/` directory is **brain-agnostic**. Every brain pack ships the same 10 skill files — they resolve which brain to use via the `/brain` router (active brain in `${BRAINSFOR_HOME:-~/.brainsfor}/state/active-brain.txt`) or via an inline slug override.

If any files are missing, reinstall from [brainsforagents.com](https://brainsforagents.com).

### Step 2: Detect Your AI Environment

This brain works across multiple AI tools. Identify which one you're using:

- **Claude Code** — Run this skill directly; brain context loads automatically
- **Cowork (Claude in Slack)** — Use `/brain-setup` command; Cowork syncs context
- **Cursor** — Paste brain-context.md into `.cursor/rules` or project instructions
- **ChatGPT / Claude.ai** — Copy brain-context.md into system prompt or conversation starter
- **Other tools** — Load brain-context.md as your first message or context injection

### Step 3: Load Brain Context

The brain operates in three layers:

1. **Layer 1 — Quick Reference** (brain-atoms.json)
   - JSON structure of 929 atoms with titles, summaries, connections
   - Ideal for: Rapid lookups, programmatic access, integrations
   - Use when: You need structured data for routing or filtering

2. **Layer 2 — Full Knowledge Base** (brain-context.md)
   - Complete narrative knowledge graph with topic tags, people, themes
   - Ideal for: Deep reasoning, strategy sessions, comprehensive understanding
   - Load this file when: Starting a session that requires brain-informed thinking

3. **Layer 3 — Thinking Skills** (the 8 skills below)
   - Each skill is a reasoning mode that produces a distinct type of output
   - Ideal for: Targeted analysis, creative workflows, decision-making
   - Use when: You have a specific type of problem to solve

**Recommended:** Run `/brain gary-vee` at the start of each session. The router writes the active brain to `${BRAINSFOR_HOME:-~/.brainsfor}/state/active-brain.txt` and loads `brain-context.md` as session context. After that, the 8 thinking skills (`/advise`, `/teach`, etc.) will use this brain automatically — no need to retype the slug on every call. The brain also stays in voice for the entire session: every turn responds as the thinker until you run `/brain clear`.

### Step 4: Verify Everything Works

Test your setup with the Quick Start prompt below. You should get a thoughtful response grounded in Gary's thinking.

---

## The 9 Unified Skills

These skills live in `pack/skills/` and are brain-agnostic — they work with Gary Vaynerchuk and with any other BrainsFor brain installed under `${BRAINSFOR_HOME:-~/.brainsfor}/brains/`. Set the active brain with `/brain gary-vee`, or override per call with an inline slug like `/advise gary-vee <question>`.

### 🎛️ **0. /brain** — Router
Set, show, list, or clear the active brain for the session.
*Usage: `/brain gary-vee` activates, `/brain` shows current, `/brain list` shows all installed, `/brain clear` unsets.*

### 🧠 **1. /advise** — Strategic Counsel
Ask for advice on decisions grounded in Gary's frameworks. Best for: career moves, company decisions, strategy choices.
*Example: "Should I quit my job to pursue my side hustle full-time?"*

### 📚 **2. /teach** — Explain Like I'm Learning
Get a clear explanation of a concept as Gary sees it. Best for: understanding unfamiliar ideas, building mental models.
*Example: "Explain 'day trading attention' to me."*

### 🔥 **3. /debate** — Steel-Man Both Sides
Present a position or pit two ideas against each other; brain argues the counterpoint. Best for: understanding tradeoffs, challenging assumptions, resolving strategic tensions.
*Example: "Is hustle culture toxic or necessary for new entrepreneurs?"*

### 🔗 **4. /connect** — Bridge Ideas
Find unexpected connections between two concepts or synthesize multiple ideas into something new. Best for: synthesis, innovation, cross-domain thinking.
*Example: "Connect self-awareness to business strategy."*

### 📈 **5. /evolve** — How Ideas Build On Each Other
Trace how a concept develops and changes across the brain. Best for: historical perspective, maturity models, trajectory thinking.
*Example: "How has Gary's thinking on work-life balance evolved over the years?"*

### 🎨 **6. /surprise** — Unexpected Insights
Get a random high-quality atom you wouldn't think to ask for. Best for: creative breakthroughs, morning inspiration, breaking tunnel vision.
*Example: No input needed — just run it.*

### 🪞 **7. /coach** — Socratic Questions
No answers — just the questions Gary would ask you. Best for: uncovering blind spots, pressure-testing decisions, team discussions.
*Example: "I'm scared to post on social because I'm worried what people will think. What should I be asking myself?"*

### 🔮 **8. /predict** — Implication Chains
Trace the second and third-order effects of a trend or decision. Best for: forecasting, strategic planning, seeing around corners.
*Example: "What happens to creator brands if AI makes content production essentially free?"*

### 🪑 **/board** — Board of Advisors (Multi-Brain)
Ask one question and hear from several thinkers at once. Each installed brain answers **independently** (no brain sees another's answer), then a synthesis names where they agree and where they clash. Best for: high-stakes decisions where you want genuine disagreement, not one voice.
*Requires 2+ brains installed, plus a host that can run parallel sub-agents (Claude Code's Agent tool or Cowork). No MCP server needed — each board member reads its brain's local pack. With only Gary Vaynerchuk installed, `/board` will ask you to add another brain from [brainsforagents.com](https://brainsforagents.com).*
*Usage: `/board <question>`, `/board set <slug-a> <slug-b> ...`, `/board list`, `/board clear`.*

---

## Recommended Workflows

Use these skill combinations for better results:

### 🎯 Decision Workflow
→ `/advise` (get perspective) → `/debate` (stress-test) → `/coach` (check your blind spots)

*Example: Deciding on a hire? Get advice, challenge the reasoning, then surface what you're not asking.*

### 📚 Learning Workflow
→ `/teach` (understand) → `/evolve` (see how it develops) → `/coach` (test your understanding)

*Example: New to content strategy? Teach jab-jab-jab-right-hook → evolve how Gary's thinking on content volume changed → coach yourself through your own content fears.*

### 💡 Creative Workflow
→ `/surprise` (get inspired) → `/connect` (build bridges) → `/predict` (where does this lead?)

*Example: Stuck on a problem? Surprise + connect often surface unexpected angles.*

### 🔮 Forecast Workflow
→ `/predict` (trace implications) → `/debate` (challenge the prediction) → `/advise` (act on it)

*Example: Building a personal brand? Predict the 5-year implications of a content-first career → debate the risks of betting everything on one platform → advise on a practical starting move this week.*

### 🌅 Daily Ritual
→ Run `/surprise` each morning for 10 seconds of strategic inspiration.

---

## Quick Start

**Try this right now to verify setup:**

```
/brain gary-vee

/advise "I'm a solo founder trying to build an audience for my software product. I have no budget and I'm nervous about being on camera. What would Gary tell me?"
```

Or skip the activation step and use an inline slug for a one-off:

```
/advise gary-vee "I'm a solo founder trying to build an audience for my software product. I have no budget and I'm nervous about being on camera. What would Gary tell me?"
```

You should get a thoughtful response that:
- References specific frameworks from the brain
- Weighs tradeoffs from Gary's perspective
- Suggests which of his mental models apply here
- Feels strategic and grounded (not generic)

If you get that, you're all set.

---

## Troubleshooting

**Q: The brain doesn't seem to know what I'm asking about.**
→ Make sure `brain-context.md` is loaded in your session. If using Claude Code, check that the file is in your working directory.

**Q: I want to search the brain for a specific topic.**
→ Use `/advise` with a keyword: `"What does Gary think about attention arbitrage?"` → The brain will pull all relevant atoms.

**Q: Can I combine skills?**
→ Absolutely. Chain them: `"First /advise on whether to pivot, then /debate the tradeoffs, then /coach me on what I'm missing."`

**Q: What if a skill doesn't feel relevant to my question?**
→ Try a different one. `/coach` often works when you're stuck; `/connect` when you need something original; `/surprise` when you need inspiration.

**Q: How often should I reload the brain?**
→ Once per session is sufficient. Brain context doesn't expire, and atoms don't change. But if you're switching between different projects, fresh context load = sharper thinking.

---

## About Gary Vaynerchuk

Gary Vaynerchuk is the chairman of VaynerX and CEO of VaynerMedia, a serial entrepreneur, five-time New York Times bestselling author, and one of the most prolific voices on content strategy, attention, and personal brand. He built his family's wine store from $3M to $60M using internet video when nobody else was, then turned that playbook into a global advertising agency — and has spent two decades in public documenting how to actually build a business.

This brain pack extracts and structures his core ideas so you can activate his mental models in your own thinking.

**More:** Visit [brainsforagents.com](https://brainsforagents.com) for other brain packs, documentation, and community.

---

## Sources & Ethics

This brain was built exclusively from **freely available, public sources** — Gary's freely available YouTube videos (DailyVee, GaryVee Audio Experience, Tea With GaryVee), public keynotes and conference talks (SXSW, Web Summit), podcast interview appearances (Joe Rogan, Tim Ferriss, Marie Forleo), and widely discussed quotes from press coverage and social media. Book content is distilled from public summaries, reviews, and Gary's own public discussions of his ideas — not reproduced from the texts.. No transcripts from commercial works (e.g., audiobooks, paid courses) or paywalled essays were used to derive this brain.

Where a thinker's book ideas appear in the knowledge graph, they are represented as they exist in the public discourse: book reviews, author interviews, press coverage, conference talks, and widely discussed concepts. Authors typically share their core ideas through extensive public appearances — those public representations are what this brain captures.

## Support & Feedback

If you encounter issues or have feedback:

1. Check `README.md` for quick answers
2. Verify all files are present and readable
3. Try a fresh load of `brain-context.md`
4. Contact support via [brainsforagents.com](https://brainsforagents.com)

---

**You're ready to think with Gary. Let's go.** 🚀
