Prompting vs Agent Design

You're about to build your first agent. But first, let's understand why this is different from writing prompts.

Prompting Mindset

"I need to give the AI the right instructions to get good output"

Focus:

• Word choice
• Examples
• Formatting instructions
• Guardrails against bad behavior

Agent Design Mindset

"I need to build a system that can operate autonomously"

Focus:

• Identity (who is this agent?)
• Purpose (what is it trying to achieve?)
• Memory (what does it need to remember?)
• Tools (what can it do?)
• Rules (what are its boundaries?)
• Workflows (how does it handle common situations?)

The Shift

Prompts are instructions. You give them every time.

Agent configs are architecture. You set them up once, and they persist.

Example: Writing Task

Prompt approach:

You are a skilled copywriter. Write compelling copy for a landing page about an AI course. Use clear headers, bullet points, and a strong CTA. The target audience is technical founders...

Agent approach:

The agent already knows:

• It's Alex, my business co-pilot
• It has built things for me before
• It knows my preferences (concise, no fluff)
• It knows the context (OpenClaw course, tk100x brand)

My request: "Create the landing page for the course"

See the difference? The agent brings context. The prompt requires you to provide everything.

Building an Agent

You're not writing prompts. You're creating:

1. A persona (SOUL.md)
2. Operating instructions (AGENTS.md)
3. User context (USER.md)
4. Tools and permissions (config)
5. Memory structure (MEMORY.md + detail files)

Let's do it.