First Agent Problem Brief

Describe the problem before choosing what to build.

Interview prompt

I need help fixing [recurring problem]. Interview me before proposing a solution. Ask about the outcome, trigger, inputs and permissions, judgment points, approval stops, failure cases and owner. Ask follow-up questions where answers are vague. Recommend the smallest suitable solution: reusable prompt, scheduled workflow or agent. Do not build or connect anything yet.

Fill in the brief

Problem and current manual steps: ___

Outcome and measure of success: ___

Trigger and frequency: ___

Inputs, access permission and source of truth: ___

Judgment points and unknowns: ___

Approval stop: what must never happen without a person? ___

Owner and failure alert: ___

Smallest suitable solution and reason: ___

Four-line summary

Outcome: ___

Trigger: ___

Information needed: ___

Stop and ask when: ___

Worked example · fictional

Problem: Friday updates take 40 minutes. Outcome: draft a checked five-bullet update in less time. Trigger: Friday afternoon. Inputs: approved project tracker. Stop: missing status, conflicting dates, or anything ready to send. Start with a reusable draft prompt; add scheduling only if the pilot justifies it. No autonomous agent is required for the first test.

Before authorizing a build

☐ Confirm access and costs. ☐ Test with permitted sample data. ☐ Name the reviewer. ☐ Check the failure route. ☐ Approve a concrete plan and permissions. ☐ Record a rollback or stop method.

This brief works before choosing an app. It does not depend on a paid plan, a particular tab or a slash command.