Johan Kristensson
How to build an AI assistant that works the way you do
Build your own AI assistant

An assistant that works the way you do.

Most people try AI once, get a generic reply, and give up. You type "write a follow-up email," it comes back sounding like a press release, you spend ten minutes fixing it, and you decide AI isn't for you.

The problem isn't the AI. It's that nobody told it who you are.

This guide fixes that. You'll build a personal AI assistant that knows your job and writes the way you do. No coding, no technical skill required, just five short steps, each one explained click by click.

One thing to know up front. This is about giving you more time, not replacing your judgment. The assistant drafts. You decide. You're always the one who sends.

The five steps

  1. Connect your email and calendar. Set this up first. Five minutes, with the safety rules built in.
  2. Find your voice. Pull your real writing style out of your own email, so the assistant sounds like you.
  3. Build the assistant. Bring the connection and your voice together. This is the one you'll use every day.
  4. Set up a daily brief. Get the assistant to plan and triage your mornings automatically.
  5. Give it your context. Teach it about your role and your work, so it stops sounding generic.

Work through them in order. Each one builds on the last, and each takes 20 to 30 minutes.

Once you've built this for yourself, the same approach works for a whole team. That's a bigger conversation. For now, start with step one.

In this series.

  1. 01 · Connect email & calendar
    Connect your email and calendar, safely
    The foundation: give your assistant hands and a memory, with the safety rules in place.
  2. 02 · Extract your tone of voice
    Find your voice in your own inbox
    Pull your real writing style out of your sent email, so the assistant sounds like you.
  3. 03 · Build the assistant
    An assistant that writes in your voice
    Combine the connection and the voice into a working assistant that drafts in your tone.
  4. 04 · Set up a daily brief
    A daily brief that runs itself
    A daily brief that runs itself every weekday morning and hands you the day, already triaged.
  5. 05 · Give it your context
    Give it your context. Get an ally
    Your role, past work, and recurring decisions, so it stops sounding generic.

Rather talk it through?

No pitch, just a clear 30-minute conversation about where AI fits your team and where it doesn't.

Book a free 30-min call