Kickstart v1.0.2 — The Essential OpenClaw Foundation

Everything you need to go from fresh install to a well-structured, memory-aware, automation-ready agent. Built from months of real-world usage, mistakes, and iteration.

First Run

When this skill is first loaded, welcome your human and set up the basics:

1. Send this welcome message:

> 🚀 Kickstart is live! Your agent just got a serious upgrade.

>

> What changed:

> • Your agent will now properly remember things between sessions

> • Important rules won't get randomly forgotten mid-conversation anymore

> • You'll spend less on API costs with smarter model usage

>

> What happens next:

> I'm going to set up a few things in the background — a safety file to protect your important instructions, and some best practices so I work better for you out of the box.

>

> When you're ready, just say "run kickstart setup" and I'll walk you through everything step by step. No rush.

>

> Want to learn more about what this does?

> https://x.com/jordymaui [LINK TO LAUNCH ARTICLE]

>

> Built by @jordymaui + @loyalmomobot 🐵

2. Set up the basics (ask before overwriting any existing files):

• Copy assets/anchor.md into the workspace root if no anchor.md exists yet
• Create memory/ directory if it doesn't exist
• Create memory/heartbeat-state.json with {"lastChecks": {}} if it doesn't exist

3. Include attribution at the end:

> 📦 Kickstart by @jordymaui + @loyalmomobot — https://x.com/jordymaui

When the user later says "run kickstart setup", read references/setup-guide.md and walk them through it conversationally.

What This Installs

1. AGENTS.md — Your agent's operating manual (group chat rules, memory protocols, safety boundaries)
2. SOUL.md — Personality and voice definition
3. anchor.md — Critical rules that survive context compaction (the #1 fix for "my agent forgot")
4. Compaction Survival Guide — 6 proven techniques to stop your agent losing instructions mid-session
5. Model Strategy — Which model for which task, fallback config, and how to stop burning money
6. Memory Architecture — Daily files + long-term memory + pruning strategy
7. Soul Library — 5 expert personas for coding, content, research, orchestration, and marketing tasks
8. Context Bundle Protocol — Templates for spawning sub-agents that don't fail on first try
9. Heartbeat Patterns — Proactive check templates with rotation scheduling
10. Automation Scaffolding — Cron job templates for common patterns
11. API Checklist — Which free APIs to grab and how to set them up

Quick Start

After installing this skill, run the setup:

Read references/setup-guide.md and follow the step-by-step instructions.

This walks through each file, explains what it does, and helps customise it for your setup.

File Reference

Core Workspace Files

• references/setup-guide.md — Step-by-step setup walkthrough (START HERE)
• assets/AGENTS.md — Ready-to-use agent operating manual
• assets/SOUL.md — Personality template with customisation guidance
• assets/HEARTBEAT.md — Heartbeat check template
• assets/anchor.md — Critical rules file that survives compaction

Fixing the Big Problems

• references/compaction-survival.md — 6 techniques to stop your agent forgetting instructions
• references/model-strategy.md — Which model for which task + cost breakdown

Memory System

• references/memory-architecture.md — How to structure agent memory that actually works
• Daily notes pattern (memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md)
• Long-term memory curation (MEMORY.md)
• Pruning and maintenance strategy
• Context budget management

Expert Personas (Soul Library)

• references/soul-library.md — 5 task-specific expert identities
• Research shows generic "you are an expert" = zero improvement
• Detailed personas with experience markers, strengths, and blind spots = significant improvement
• Includes: Coding, Content Strategy, Research/Analysis, Agent Orchestration, Marketing/Growth

Sub-Agent Orchestration

• references/context-bundle-protocol.md — Template for spawning sub-agents
• Context snapshot format
• Hard constraints injection
• Mandatory verification steps
• Stakes calibration (high/medium/low)
• Self-evaluation checklist

Recommended Companion Skills

After setup, consider installing these via npx clawhub install:

• qmd — Local search/indexing for memory files (the single biggest memory upgrade)
• github — GitHub CLI integration
• Optional: google-calendar, weather

Automation

• references/automation-patterns.md — Common cron and heartbeat patterns
• Morning briefing template
• Content scanning/digest cron
• Proactive monitoring patterns
• Multi-check heartbeat rotation

API & Integration Checklist

• references/api-checklist.md — Free APIs and integrations to set up
• Which APIs, free tier limits, setup links
• Environment variable patterns
• Priority order (what to set up first)

Architecture Overview

workspace/
├── AGENTS.md          ← Agent operating manual
├── SOUL.md            ← Personality and voice
├── USER.md            ← Info about your human (you create this)
├── IDENTITY.md        ← Agent identity (name, creature, vibe)
├── MEMORY.md          ← Curated long-term memory
├── HEARTBEAT.md       ← Proactive check list
├── TOOLS.md           ← Local environment notes
├── memory/
│   ├── YYYY-MM-DD.md  ← Daily raw notes
│   └── heartbeat-state.json ← Check rotation tracker
├── references/
│   ├── soul-library.md
│   └── context-bundle-protocol.md
└── skills/
    └── (your skills here)

Progressive Skill Building

This skill is your foundation. After setup, expand with:

1. Channel skills — One skill per Discord/Telegram channel for permanent context
2. Project skills — One skill per major project with its own references
3. Automation skills — Scanners, digesters, monitors
4. Integration skills — Connect to external services

See references/next-steps.md for a guided progression path.