Builder Tools Setup Guide

Two parts. Part 1 is everything you need to start getting real value — your AI platform plus two add-ons that live inside it. Part 2 is optional, for power users who want advanced capabilities (local files, version control, voice input, a workflow registry) that work alongside their AI platform.

Why These Tools Matter

Real AI workflows — the kind that save time, ship work, and scale beyond one-off chats — need more than a chatbot. Two parts: Part 1 is what you need to start getting real value — your AI platform plus two add-ons that live inside it. Part 2 is for power users who want advanced capabilities that work in collaboration with their AI platform.

Each tool below was chosen intentionally. Here’s what each one unlocks for you.

Part 1 — What You Need

Your AI platform is the reasoning engine that powers every workflow you build — one account is enough. Two add-ons then run inside it: one gives you step-by-step framework guidance, the other makes the Hands-on AI playbook searchable from your AI tool.

Capability	What it is	Why it matters to you
Account + Apps	A paid subscription (Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, or Copilot) plus the web, desktop, and mobile apps	Paid plans unlock the features you’ll use here — longer conversations, file uploads, connectors, and stronger reasoning models
Personalization	Custom instructions that tell the AI about your role, industry, and style	Every conversation starts with context — you stop re-introducing yourself and answers arrive tailored from message one
Memory	The AI remembers facts about you and your work across conversations	Your AI becomes a returning assistant who knows your projects, not a stranger every time you open a new chat
Connections	Links your AI to apps you already use (Google Docs, Slack, Notion, GitHub, etc.)	AI can read and write inside your real systems — no more copy-paste between tools
Hands-on AI Skills	Skills that walk you through the Business-First AI Framework for building AI workflows	Learn how to go from “I think AI could help with this” to a shipped, improving workflow — with step-by-step guidance at every stage
Hands-on AI Knowledge Base	The Hands-on AI playbook, connected to your AI tool as a live reference	Ask questions and get answers right inside the AI tool where you’re already doing your work — no switching tabs or searching the website

Part 2 — For Power Users

Optional tools that work in collaboration with your AI platform to build and manage your AI building blocks — prompts, skills, agents, and more — as files you can version, back up, and share. Pick any combination; you can come back and add more later.

Capability	What it is	Why it matters to you
Code Editor	Cursor or VS Code, with AI extensions installed	An organized home for every building block you create — browse them in folders, edit them in place, and let the built-in AI assistants read and update them directly as you work
Git	Automatically tracks every change to every file	You’ll constantly create and refine your building blocks — Git keeps the full history for you, so you never have to manage versions manually, and it connects to GitHub so everything gets backed up in the cloud
GitHub	Cloud storage and backup for your files, built on top of Git	Your work is safe, versioned, accessible from any machine, and easy to share
Voice to Text	Dictation software (Wispr Flow or your system’s built-in voice input)	Talk instead of type — faster for long prompts and more natural when you’re thinking out loud
AI Registry (Notion)	A structured Notion workspace for your workflows, AI building blocks, and connected apps	The single source of truth for what you’ve built, who’s using it, and how it all connects — essential once you’re scaling beyond one-off experiments

Setup Order

Start with Part 1 and complete the steps in order. Part 2 is optional — pick any combination of tools when you need them. Each link opens the full setup guide with step-by-step instructions and verification criteria. For students working through a course, the Tools Setup Checklist adds per-step “Done when” criteria and troubleshooting prompts.

Part 1 — What You Need (~60 min)

#	Tool	Time	Status	Why it matters
1	AI Platform (see Platforms)	~45 min	Required	The reasoning engine that powers every workflow — one account is enough
2	Hands-on AI Skills	~10 min	Recommended	Step-by-step guidance for building AI workflows, right inside your AI tool
3	Hands-on AI Knowledge Base	~5 min	Recommended	Ask the Hands-on AI playbook questions without leaving your AI tool

Part 2 — For Power Users (~70 min total)

Pick any combination — each row names the specific capability it unlocks.

#	Tool	Time	Requires	Install this if you want to…
4	AI Code Editor + Extensions	~15 min	Nothing	Store building blocks as files on your computer and edit them with AI assistance
5	Git	~10 min	Editor	Keep a full version history of your building blocks automatically
6	GitHub	~15 min	Editor + Git	Back up your building blocks to the cloud and share them across machines
7	Voice to Text	~10 min	Nothing	Talk instead of type when writing prompts
8	AI Registry (Notion)	~20 min	AI platform	Track every workflow, building block, and connected app in one workspace

What’s Next?

With your builder tools in place, you’re ready to start building with AI.

Next Step	What it is
Learn the Building Blocks →	The eleven components of every AI workflow — models, prompts, context, projects, skills, agents, and more
Install Plugins →	Pre-built Claude Code agents and skills you can install in one command
Take a Course →	Structured learning that walks you through building with AI step by step