E1 · The routine on paper
10 minList what you do today when you sign a client, in order. Trim it to the 5 steps you repeat most often.
Done when: the list has 4 to 6 numbered steps, and each one says which tool it's done in.
Lesson 6 · 15 min
New client: the checklist that stops when something fails
You signed a new client. Now you need to update the contact record, create a folder, set up the schedule, prepare the first invoice, and write a welcome message. It's the same five steps every time, and forgetting one can be costly. The agent goes through the checklist in order, doesn't create anything twice, and stops at the step that fails.
Start the lesson
In this lesson, you’ll
- 1Turn your routine into a checklist
- 2Run it step by step, marking each one done
- 3Stop at the step that fails and say why
- 4Resume without redoing what’s already done
Goal: write the new client checklist for the agent to follow in order, stopping at a failed step without creating duplicates.
01The five steps, in order
Click each step. The last one is always a draft.
Click each block in the diagram to see what it does.
Fixed order, one step at a time, no duplicates. Payments and messages to clients are drafts.
02See the checklist in action
Run it, interrupt it halfway, then run it again. Notice which step stops.
to do
in progress
done
stopped
Illustrative browser simulation: nothing is actually created. The failure is intentional, to show “stop and let you know.”
03The checklist sheet
Replace the steps with yours. Keep the order and rules.
Sheet · new client agent
Role: You are my new customer agent. About me: [what the business does]; folder template: [name]; schedule template: [name]; welcome email template: [text or name]; existing customers and folders: [paste the list]. When: when I say "new customer: [name]" and paste the proposal or details. Steps: 1) record: status "won" (deal closed) and start date; 2) create a folder with the customer's name using the template; 3) create a schedule from the template, with dates starting from the start date; 4) create the first invoice as a draft, with the first installment amount from the proposal; 5) create a welcome email as a draft, with links to the folder and schedule. Rules: never pay, approve, or schedule a payment; never ask for a password, login screen = stop and call me; do the steps in order and mark each one as done; if a customer, folder, or invoice with that name already exists, don't create another: stop and tell me which step and what you found; if a step fails, stop there; the invoice and email are drafts only, I issue and send them; copy names and amounts exactly; if any information is missing, stop and ask. Delivery: the list of the 5 steps with done / stopped and the reason, the links or names created, the invoice amount, and "email in draft". First task: repeat the checklist in your own words and wait for me to say "new customer".
In chat · the request
new client: Golden Wheat Bakery Existing clients and folders: Lopez Woodworks, Vida Clinic. Proposal details: contact Martha Reese (martha@example.com), custom industrial kitchen, start date Nov 10, total amount 18,000.00 in 3 installments, first due at signing. In chat, you don't create the folder or customer record: give me the ready-to-use text for each step (folder name, schedule in a table, invoice draft, email draft), and I’ll click through and mark each one done.
Terminal (optional) · real folders on your computer
cd my-agents/clients # the sheet is in AGENTS.md; the template is in clients/template/ codex exec --skip-git-repo-check -m gpt-6-luna -s workspace-write "new client: Golden Wheat Bakery — follow AGENTS.md"
Simulation: illustrative example
In chat, the agent prepares the text for each step and you do the clicks: it's the checklist with the boring parts (writing, calculating dates, putting the email together) taken care of. In the terminal, with -s workspace-write, Codex can copy the template folder inside the folder you're in; it can't copy outside it. You still handle the client record in an online system and the invoice.
- All five steps appear in order, each marked done or stopped.
- The invoice is 6,000.00 (the first of 3 installments of 18,000.00) and is a draft.
- If you send the same request again in the same conversation, the second round stops right away at the first step because the client already exists.
- Checklist with no set order: the email goes out before the folder exists, so the link is broken.
- "If it fails, try another way": the agent improvises and creates the folder "Golden Wheat Bakery (2)". If something fails, stop.
- Set the invoice to "issue": money and a client mean at least medium risk; always use a draft.
04Practice: your checklist
Write down the routine you already follow today.
E2 · The sheet
15 minAdapt the sheet with your steps and templates, and put it in a Project (or a folder in the terminal).
Done when: the agent repeats the checklist in its own words, in the right order, and waits for "new client".
E3 · Practice with a fictional client
10 minRun it with Golden Wheat Bakery. Then send the same request again in the same conversation (in chat, "already exists" depends on the list you pasted and what's in the conversation).
Done when: the first round delivers the 5 steps and the 6,000.00 invoice as a draft; the second stops and lets you know the client already exists.
05Test what you learned
The explanation appears after your answer.
Question 1 of 3
At step 2, a "Golden Wheat Bakery" folder already exists. What does the agent do?
Correct
An existing folder could mean a repeat client or a mistake on your part. The agent doesn't decide: it stops and lets you know. Creating another one makes a duplicate; deleting it is high risk; skipping it leaves the email with a link to nothing.That's not it
An existing folder could mean a repeat client or a mistake on your part. The agent doesn't decide: it stops and lets you know. Creating another one makes a duplicate; deleting it is high risk; skipping it leaves the email with a link to nothing.Review: See the checklist in actionQuestion 2 of 3
You stopped the checklist at step 3 and ran it again. The right thing to do is:
Correct
Completed steps stay marked; when you resume, you continue where you left off. Starting over means creating the client record twice.That's not it
Completed steps stay marked; when you resume, you continue where you left off. Starting over means creating the client record twice.Review: See the checklist in actionQuestion 3 of 3
In the chat workflow, who creates the folder in your Drive?
Correct
Chat can write, but it can't click in your Drive. It takes care of the boring parts (writing and calculating), and you do the steps, marking them done. Never share your password.That's not it
Chat can write, but it can't click in your Drive. It takes care of the boring parts (writing and calculating), and you do the steps, marking them done. Never share your password.Review: The checklist sheetTest complete
You got {a} out of {n} right. Get them all right to mark the lesson as complete.Choose an option. The explanation appears after you try.
06The lesson in three sentences
Fixed orderThe same steps, always in the same order, each marked done.
Failed, stopAlready exists or something went wrong: the agent stops, says which step it reached and what it saw, and doesn't improvise.
Resume without redoing workOn the next run, pick up where you left off. No duplicates.