---
name: brain-setup
description: "Load the Paul Graham 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."
---

# Paul Graham Brain Pack — Setup & Configuration

Welcome to the **Graham Brain Pack** from [brainsforagents.com](https://brainsforagents.com). This is a premium knowledge asset extracted from Paul Graham's essays on paulgraham.com, interviews, talks, and podcasts — a curated collection of his most influential thinking on startups, programming, writing, taste, ambition, and doing great work.

## What You're Getting

- **1135 knowledge atoms** — Core insights, frameworks, and strategic principles from 220+ essays spanning 2001-2025, plus interviews with Tyler Cowen, Geoff Ralston, The Pull Request, YC lectures, and talks at Startup School and Disrupt
- **1187 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** — startups, programming, writing, wealth, taste, ambition, fundraising, hackers, ideas, growth, education, design, 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 Graham 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 (1135 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 1135 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 paul-graham` 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 Paul's thinking.

---

## The 9 Unified Skills

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

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

### 🧠 **1. /advise** — Strategic Counsel
Ask for advice on decisions grounded in Paul's frameworks. Best for: career moves, company decisions, strategy choices.
*Example: "Should I drop out of college to work on my startup?"*

### 📚 **2. /teach** — Explain Like I'm Learning
Get a clear explanation of a concept as Paul sees it. Best for: understanding unfamiliar ideas, building mental models.
*Example: "Explain what makes a good startup idea using Paul's frameworks."*

### 🔥 **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 it better to build something a lot of people kind of want, or something a few people really want?"*

### 🔗 **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 Paul's ideas about taste to hiring decisions."*

### 📈 **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 Paul's thinking on AI and programming 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 Paul would ask you. Best for: uncovering blind spots, pressure-testing decisions, team discussions.
*Example: "I'm trying to decide whether to pivot or persevere. 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 programming as a profession as AI gets better at writing code?"*

### 🪑 **/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 Paul Graham 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 startups? Use Teach → Evolve → Coach to build foundational understanding before taking action.*

### 💡 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: Fundraising soon? Use Predict to map the landscape → Debate your assumptions → Advise on your specific strategy.*

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

---

## Quick Start

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

```
/brain paul-graham

/advise "I'm a developer with a side project getting traction. Should I quit my job and go full-time on it?"
```

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

```
/advise paul-graham "I'm a developer with a side project getting traction. Should I quit my job and go full-time on it?"
```

You should get a thoughtful response that:
- References specific frameworks from the brain
- Weighs tradeoffs from Paul'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 Paul think about startups?"` → 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 Paul Graham

Paul Graham is a programmer, essayist, and co-founder of Y Combinator — the most successful startup accelerator in history. His essays on paulgraham.com have shaped how a generation of founders and programmers think about startups, ambition, wealth creation, and the craft of building things. He is one of the most cited thinkers in Silicon Valley.

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** — Paul's freely published essays on paulgraham.com, public talks, recorded interviews, and widely discussed quotes from press coverage and podcasts. 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 Paul. Let's go.** 🚀
