Jet Skis Are the Starting Point
A "jet ski" is anything you build with AI for exploration. A side project, a prototype, a "can AI do this?" experiment. You're learning what's possible. The output matters less than the learning.
This is where everyone starts, and it's where you should start. You can't write a good strategy for AI-assisted work until you've felt what AI is good at, where it breaks, and how fast things compound when context persists.
Jet Ski (explore)
- "What can AI do?"
- Build, learn, be surprised
- Output is the learning
- Appreciation for what's possible
Direct Intent (direct)
- "Here's what I want and why"
- Measure, iterate, ship
- Output is the strategy
- Strategic use of what's possible
You can't skip the sandpit. "How to measure" is meaningless if you haven't built anything to measure. "Biggest risk" is a guess if you haven't shipped something and been surprised. The jet ski builds the intuition that makes strategic intent credible.
The 4 Levels
Every project has four levels of information. Most people start at the bottom and work up. The protocols handle Levels 2-4 from day one. Level 1 is the roof you add when you're ready.
Initiative Tracker / Why, what, who, when
The strategic roof. Answers: What are we doing and why? How will we measure success? What's the biggest risk?
File: INITIATIVES.md · Added: After you've shipped something real
Phase Tracker / Open questions, progress, priorities
What needs doing? What's blocked? What did we just ship?
Files: TODO.md + TASKS/ · Added: Day 1 (all protocols)
Architecture / Decisions, tech design, constraints
Why did we choose this approach? What are we not doing? How does the system work?
Files: DECISIONS.md + CLAUDE.md + CONSTRAINTS.md · Added: Day 1 (duo/tre)
Daily Work / Tasks, commits, deep dives
What do I do today? What happened in this commit? What's the detail behind that decision?
Files: TASKS/ subfolders + git history · Added: Day 1 (all protocols)
If Level 1 is wrong, everything below it is wasted effort. But you can't write a good Level 1 on day one. You don't know enough yet. That's why the protocols start you at Levels 2-4: build first, direct later.
The Level 1 Template: 6 Questions
When you're ready to add the roof, each initiative answers these six questions. If you can't fill them in with real experience, you're not ready yet. Go build another jet ski.
1. Why
Problem, value prop, why us, why now. What pain are we solving and why are we the ones to solve it?
2. Which Models
uno, duo, tre, or something else? Which protocol mode does this initiative use, and why?
3. What Revenue
Free, paid, investment? What's the business model and how does money flow?
4. How to Measure
One metric that matters, one target number, one date. Not five metrics. One.
5. Who's Building
What does each person do vs. not do? What does AI handle? What's blocked on external?
6. When
Milestones, critical path, and biggest risk. Name the one thing that could kill this initiative.
When You're Ready to Graduate
You'll know it's time when you stop asking "what can I build?" and start asking "what should I build and why?" Other signals:
- You've shipped something real with the protocol (not a tutorial, a product)
- You have multiple things you could build next and need to choose
- You want to measure whether your AI workflow is actually working
- You're coordinating across people, not just AI and yourself
At that point, create INITIATIVES.md in your project root. Fill in the 6 questions for each initiative. Connect it to your existing Level 2-4 files. The roof goes on the house.
See it working
KayGee itself uses this model. The INITIATIVES.md in our repo tracks its active initiatives, the thinking publication, content authority, and protocol adoption, each with all 6 questions filled in from real experience, not theory.
See the site itselfHow Protocols Map to Levels
Each protocol gives you different floors of the house from day one. Level 1 is always a graduation. You add it when you've earned it.
| Level | uno | duo | tre |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Initiative Tracker | Graduation | Graduation | TBD |
| 2. Phase Tracker | Day 1 | Day 1 | TBD |
| 3. Architecture | — | Day 1 | TBD |
| 4. Daily Work | Day 1 | Day 1 | TBD |