By the end of this page you will have run through the complete Project Forge preparation flow: a clean session started fromDocumentation Index
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AI_START.md, the four canonicals loaded in the correct read order, a target project defined and scoped, an initial official basis closed, and a finished opening package ready to hand to the real target project — without depending on the preparation chat as hidden state.
The 9-step flow
Start from a clean workspace
Open a new chat or an isolated ChatGPT Project that has no prior history related to the target. Session hygiene is the foundation. If the environment can reference saved memories or previous conversations, assume contamination is possible unless you have deliberately isolated the session.Do not carry informal notes, previous chat snippets, or unclassified material into the Forge workspace unless you intend to classify them explicitly.
Ask the assistant to read AI_START.md
Provide
AI_START.md to the assistant and issue the minimal operator instruction. This file bootstraps the AI into the system — it sets startup hygiene, the canonical read order, and what the assistant must not assume.AI_START.md is not a canonical. It does not introduce new rules. Its only job is to route the assistant into the canonicals correctly before any case work begins.Load the four canonicals in read order
Provide the four canonical files to the assistant. Load them in this exact order:Read order is for comprehension. Precedence order for conflict resolution is
00_SCOPE.md > 01_RULES.md > 02_PROTOCOL.md > 03_ARTIFACTS.md. No lower file may redefine a higher one.Define the target project
Describe the target project to the assistant in plain language. Close three things:
- Objective — what the target project is supposed to do or decide
- Domain — the subject area (research, product, sports, writing, technical, or any other)
- Expected outputs — what kinds of files, analyses, or decisions the project should produce
NOT_READY until the object is closed.Close scope in and scope out
Work with the assistant to explicitly close what is inside the project’s boundary and what is outside it. Both halves matter equally.Unclosed scope is one of the most common causes of vague artifacts and false readiness. If scope in and scope out cannot be stated, stop here and resolve them before continuing.
Define the initial official basis
Decide which sources, materials, or reference documents count as the approved starting ground for the target project. This becomes the
INITIAL_SSOT_ARTIFACT.Before any material can become official basis, validate:- authority of the source
- direct relevance to the target
- explicit role in the project
- freshness when the domain is time-sensitive
- whether the source contradicts other approved material
Compile the opening artifacts
Once target, scope, and official basis are closed, compile the minimum opening package:
Add a
| Artifact | What it carries |
|---|---|
ENTRY_POINT.md | How to read the package; what is and is not official basis; when to stop and ask |
TARGET_PROJECT_BRIEF_ARTIFACT | Objective, scope in, scope out, expected outputs, project-specific constraints |
INITIAL_SSOT_ARTIFACT | Approved sources, base constraints, version or date of the initial basis |
HANDOFF_ARTIFACT only if the next run genuinely cannot reconstruct state from the stable artifacts. Add a SOURCE_OR_MATERIAL_TRANSFER_ARTIFACT only if candidate material must travel to the target project without being promoted yet.Review the package and check readiness
Before opening the real target project, verify the package against the readiness gate. The system closes one of four states:
Do not open the target project until the package state is
| State | Meaning |
|---|---|
READY | Required gate conditions are satisfied — proceed |
NOT_READY | Material is missing or weak, but the frame is coherent — identify and resolve gaps |
BLOCKED | A structural condition is missing or invalid — cannot proceed until resolved |
CONFLICT | Peer-authority surfaces diverge and cannot be closed at the current level |
READY. A NOT_READY state is normal and honest — do not paper over it with good tone.Open the real target project from the files
Create or open the real target project and load it with the opening package files —
ENTRY_POINT.md, TARGET_PROJECT_BRIEF_ARTIFACT, and INITIAL_SSOT_ARTIFACT at minimum.The target project must be able to start cleanly from those files without needing the preparation chat as hidden state. If it cannot, the opening package is not ready.The preparation room is now done. The opening package is the bridge. The target project is the destination.Minimal operator instruction
Use this as the starting prompt when beginning a guided Project Forge session:Canonical read order
Always load the four canonicals in this sequence. Read order is for comprehension; do not reorder it.Ready to understand the mechanics behind each step? Read How Project Forge Works for the core/state boundary, the five surfaces, and the full standard procedure.