Three questions before you create another Bot

How this helps you

You end up with fewer Bots, each with a clear reason to exist, and less to keep up with.

✦ Try it

I'm thinking of creating a new Bot for [job]. Check it against three tests. One: does it need its own memory, so its notes would clutter yours? Two: does it need different permissions from you, such as read-only access? Three: does it need its own schedule or trigger? If none apply, tell me how you'd handle it yourself as a skill or routine. If one applies, say which, and draft a one-line job description for the new Bot. Don't create anything yet.

Fill in: [job] is the work you want done, in one line, such as 'watch my spam folder for real emails each morning'.

What they did

Jack Roberts answers a question most people hit in week one: when should you create a new Bot instead of asking your chief of staff Bot? He gives three reasons. It needs its own memory, because its notes would clutter another Bot. It needs different permissions, such as read-only versus being able to make changes. It runs on its own clock, with its own schedule or trigger. If none of these apply, he says you don't need a new Bot. Later he adds that more Bots isn't better on its own: six Bots means six chats and six contexts to keep up with. Several commenters picked this section out as the most useful part of the video.

Who it's for: Beginners setting up their first few Bots, and anyone whose sidebar keeps growing.

Before you start

A main or chief of staff Bot you already talk to.

How to try it

Write the job you have in mind in one line.
Ask the three questions in the prompt below, or paste it into your main Bot.
If every answer is no, give the job to your main Bot as a skill or routine.
If one is yes, create the Bot and write that reason into its description.
Recheck your Bots once a month against the same three questions.

What to expect

A read-only finance Bot passes the permissions test. A weekly newsletter summary usually fails all three and works fine as a routine on your main Bot.

Common mistakes

Creating a Bot for every task, then losing track of them.
Mixing read-only research and actions that change things in one Bot.
Forgetting why a Bot exists. Put the reason in its description.

Related tips

One job per Bot: Give each Bot one job and a list of things it never does.
Pick a main Bot so it can see and delegate across your team: A main Bot gets wider visibility into your other Bots, messages you first, and hands work out.
Run a weekly Bot audit to merge or retire extras: Once a week a Bot reviews your whole team and proposes which Bots overlap, which are idle and which do too much. You make the changes.
Start with a chief of staff Bot: Talk to one coordinator Bot and let it hand work to your specialist Bots.
Lauren Tan's guide to a small, high-quality Bot team: A few well-onboarded Bots beat a big team. Design them with Dr. Eggbot, have them write their own skills, give them real access, and brain dump by voice.
Benchmark your assistants on your own top tasks: Ask each assistant for the tasks it does most for you, pick the overlap, give them the same tools and short prompts, then score the results side by side.