The operating layer for the person running the business. Six files run your company. Claude reads them every session.
Owned by you. Runs locally in Claude Code. Talk to it.
New here? Read the Founder OS Playbook first - a visual walkthrough with screenshots: the problem, the three parts, how to start, and what not to do. Opens framed in any browser, about 15 minutes. It lives on the web so it never drifts out of date; there is no copy shipped in this repo.
Download Founder OS - or install via one-line curl, plugin marketplace, or git clone. See Install below.
What it is. What it is not. Your personal brain. Your files, queryable by you. Not team-shared. Not always-on.
You run the business or run a P&L inside one. Owner, operator, agency lead, consultancy head, head of department. If the buck stops with you, this is for you.
You are sharp but your day is chopped into thirty-minute pieces. You have tried productivity templates that promised the world and quietly stopped getting opened by week three.
You are not installing a template. You are installing an operating layer. It listens, routes, forgets nothing, and pushes back when you are about to ship something half-baked.
- Stall detection built in. The system watches for rolling items and forces keep/kill/escalate decisions. Every retro.
- Revenue loop enforcement. Every outreach or content action must log same-session. Catches the gap between "I'll do X" and "I did X."
- Role as router. COO, BD, CMO, Chief of Staff are behavioural modes, not personas. The right mode activates based on what you are actually doing.
- Plan A defines Plan B. This product is a derivative of an actual founder's daily use. Features graduate from personal use into the product only after surviving contact with live P&L.
- Talk to it. Built around dictation. Claude Code's built-in dictation is the primary input. Wispr Flow is an optional power-user upgrade. Claude Code is desktop-only today. There is no native mobile execution surface.
- Decay-driven keep/kill. Set
Decay after: 14don a flag and the SessionStart brief surfaces it for keep/kill review when it expires. The OS does not auto-kill, you decide. - Invisible version control. Full history and undo, no git command ever typed. Say "save my work", "what changed", or "undo to before this morning" and the OS wraps git for you. Local by default; nothing pushes anywhere unless you ask. Undo is fail-safe: it saves your current work first and can never lose it.
Four layers, the same four the Founder OS Playbook draws on a napkin. Each does one job. Remove any one and the whole thing breaks.
- The Brain - memory and judgment, all plain markdown you own. The six operating files (priorities, clients, decisions, today, the week) hold the state of the business right now. The brain layer (log, flags, patterns, parked decisions, knowledge) holds what happened, what is stuck, and what is worth reusing. A wiki layer adds
[[cross-references]]between files plus a source archive (raw/) for articles and transcripts. - The Skills - the abilities the brain has: draft a follow-up, prep a meeting, write a proposal, run the weekly retro. They read and write across the Brain, so the output lands like you, not like a chat window.
- The Hands - the tools the skills reach for: calendar, inbox, notes, transcriber, voice capture. Wired through optional MCPs; nothing hard-fails when one is missing.
- The Heartbeat - the rhythm that keeps it current: a daily anchor at the start of the day, a weekly retro at the end of the week, and a SessionStart brief that surfaces stalls and stale cadence.
Six role modes. Four switch automatically based on what you are doing: COO (default), BD, CMO, Chief of Staff. Two more are there when you need them and you invoke explicitly: CSO for the portfolio view across everything you run, CTO for your tool stack and automations. To change lens yourself, just say "switch to CMO" (or any role).
A SessionStart brief runs on every Claude Code session open and surfaces stalls, stale cadence, and items past their decay date in one screen. Background plumbing the wizard sets up. You do not need to think about it. The brief, the Stop hook, and slash commands are Claude Code-only - on Cowork or Cloud Claude they do not fire. Details under Substrate details below if curious. Surface-by-surface compatibility table in docs/tools-and-mcps.md.
The legal layer (as-needed, not daily). A safety layer for hires, fires, NDAs, VAT, license renewals, and walking into a lawyer's office prepared. UAE founders get a full reference set out of the box. Founders elsewhere scaffold their jurisdiction and load their own sources. The skill never invents law and surfaces overdue compliance deadlines from context/compliance.md on every session. Details under Legal layer below.
The capture-and-cite loop. /rant qualifies a raw thought dump with one question, then routes it to a decision, draft, plan, log, or capture path. /dream distils captured rants into patterns, flags, parked decisions, and needs. Every new brain entry gets a stable <channel>-YYYY-MM-DD-NNN ID stamped at write time. The dream digest cites those IDs in one line each instead of restating content. knowledge-capture writes distilled takeaways from books, calls, and articles into brain/knowledge/ with the same ID convention so proposal-writer and strategic-analysis can read them back. Optional: opt in to a tool-call observation log with FOUNDER_OS_OBSERVATIONS=1 and /dream rolls each day's activity into an OBSERVED section.
One Claude subscription. Everything else is free.
- Founder OS (this repo) - free, MIT licence
- Claude Code (the interface) - free to install
- Claude subscription - any paid Claude plan with enough context (100K+ tokens). Most plans are $20-100/month.
Founder OS is built for Claude Code: the setup wizard, the slash commands, and the SessionStart and Stop hooks all run there. A paid Claude plan is the only real cost - free tiers usually don't have the context for this to work well. The files themselves are plain markdown and travel with you, so you can read them in any AI you paste them into, but the wizard, commands, and hooks run in Claude Code. You are not locked in.
You need four things:
- Claude Code - free. Download at claude.ai/code. Desktop app for Mac and Windows.
- A paid Claude plan - Claude Pro or Claude Max. Free tiers lack sufficient context.
- Git - version 2.x or later. Run
git --versionto check. You install it once and never type a git command: the OS wraps git behind plain verbs, so version control needs no new tool and no account. Say "save my work", "what changed", or "undo to before this morning". - Python 3.11+ - for the runtime scripts. Run
python3 --versionto check.
That is it. No database. No server. No Notion account required.
The OS routes on natural language. Say what you need ("set up my voice profile", "what's on for today?", "prep me for my call with Sarah") and the right skill fires. Slash commands are speed shortcuts for power users, not the primary surface. If you forget what's available, say "show me what you can do" (or run /founder-os:menu) and the OS returns 5 to 7 capabilities scored against your current state.
Four install paths. The one that needs no terminal comes first. Full step-by-step for each in docs/install.md.
Not comfortable in a terminal? Start with the plugin install below. It runs entirely inside Claude Code, with no terminal commands to type.
/plugin marketplace add ARCASSystems/FounderOS
/plugin install founder-os@founder-os-marketplace
Then say "set up Founder OS" (or run /founder-os:setup). If setup is not recognised, run /reload-plugins first.
When to choose: You want the gentlest path. Two commands typed inside Claude Code, no terminal install step, and auto-updates via /founder-os:update. Needs Claude Code with a paid Claude plan. The plugin is the engine and stays out of your way under ~/.claude/plugins/; setup builds your OS in a folder you own (default ~/founder-os/). Engine and data are separate - your files are yours even if you remove the plugin.
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ARCASSystems/FounderOS/main/install.sh | bashClones FounderOS to ~/founder-os (hook scripts and settings.json come along in the clone) and sets up in place, so your data, hooks, and commands live in one folder you own. Then prints the natural-language next step. Requires git, Python 3.11+, and bash (on Windows, install git-bash first). Re-running the same command on an existing install offers an update instead.
When to choose: You are comfortable in a terminal on macOS or Linux (or git-bash on Windows) and want one command.
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/ARCASSystems/FounderOS.git ~/founder-osOpen Claude Code in the cloned folder, then say "set up Founder OS" (or run /setup). Requires git and Python 3.11+. Commands use bare names on this path - no /founder-os: prefix.
When to choose: The plugin install fails, or you want full control of the local copy and manual git pull updates.
Open the FounderOS folder in Cowork and attach CLAUDE.md as folder instructions. Hooks and slash commands do not fire in Cowork. Use it for drafting and timed runs; return to Claude Code for hooks, cadence refresh, and commits.
When to choose: You use Cowork for day-to-day drafting and want the OS context available there alongside your Claude Code install.
- Install - pick an install path above (5 min). Run
./scripts/install-git-hooks.shto wire the privacy pre-commit hook (operator-only). Out of the box it already blocks committed secrets (API keys, tokens, bot tokens, PEM private keys), em/en dashes, and AI-attribution trailers - no config needed. To also block your private names, openscripts/private-name-patterns.txtand add at least your own name (\bYourName\b); the name check stays off until that file has a pattern, while the secret and voice checks run regardless. The file is gitignored, so your names never leave your machine. - Say "set up Founder OS" (or run
/founder-os:setup) - the wizard builds your operating layer from your answers (15 min). It reads which kind of operator you are (founder, career-mover, builder, student) so the OS leads with what your situation needs, and seeds your brain with a starter flag, parked decision, and log entry so your first session is not a blank screen. - Say "set up my voice profile" (or run
/founder-os:voice-interview) - so every writing skill sounds like you, not Claude (10 min) - Say "set up my brand profile" (or run
/founder-os:brand-interview) - so every deliverable looks like you (10 min)
After that, /founder-os:status audits the OS anytime, /today gives a one-screen view of today, and /next recommends one action. Full first-day path in docs/first-day.md. Full per-command reference in docs/commands.md. Full per-skill reference (outcome, reads, writes, voice rules, prereqs, follow-ups) in docs/skills.md.
Path B users (manual git clone): drop the
/founder-os:prefix. Commands are bare names:/setup,/voice-interview,/brand-interview,/today, etc. The plugin namespace only activates on Path A. See docs/install.md for the exact commands per path.
Grouped by when you reach for them, not by category. Each row in docs/skills.md names the outcome, reads, writes, voice rules, prereqs, and follow-ups.
One to call out is the LinkedIn pack: say "help me with my LinkedIn", pick an outcome (leads, a better job, a louder brand, or a healthier network), and the OS aims your own data export at it - a ranked outreach worklist, a deep network audit, dormant-contact revival, and an algorithm-aware content direction. All local, free-plan, within LinkedIn's terms - no scraper, no automated actions, message content never read.
Every command has a natural-language equivalent - slash commands are speed shortcuts for power users, not the primary surface. Full reference with outcomes, args, and follow-ups in docs/commands.md.
The setup wizard writes from templates/. After setup, you edit the generated files, not the templates.
Scaffold artifacts for users who do not run Claude Code. This path is not live until the public duplicate template ships:
- Notion duplication template (not yet shipped; community forks welcome)
- System prompt for a Claude Project
- Quickstart page
Not a daily skill. A safety layer for the moments you do need it: a hire or a fire, a VAT or corporate tax filing, an NDA you've been asked to sign, a license renewal coming up, a meeting with a lawyer or accountant where you want to walk in informed instead of guessing.
The skill is jurisdiction-aware. It reads a jurisdiction: field from core/identity.md and loads only that jurisdiction's reference folder. UAE founders get a complete reference set out of the box - 9 domain files (company formation, employment, tax/VAT, visas, contracts, IP, data protection, dispute resolution, industry permits) plus 27 tracked primary government sources (mohre.gov.ae, tax.gov.ae, icp.gov.ae, det.gov.ae, difc.ae, adgm.com, etc.) plus document templates for NDAs, employment offers, privacy policies. Verified 2026-04-25.
Founders outside the UAE run /founder-os:legal-setup to:
- Name their jurisdiction (e.g.,
US-Delaware-LLC,UK-Ltd,IN-Karnataka-Pvt-Ltd) - Get a scaffold folder created from the
_template/shape - Capture their fiscal year end, business structure, and active filings/renewals into
context/compliance.md
Then load three priority sources via /founder-os:legal-add-source <url-or-pdf>:
- Your country's tax authority (IRS, HMRC, IRAS, ATO, etc.)
- Your country's business / companies law
- Your country's labour / employment law
Until at least those three load, the skill refuses to answer legal questions for your jurisdiction. It will not invent law. The UAE references give it the shape of how a complete reference set looks; your sources give it the content for your country.
What you actually get when the skill is loaded:
- Plain-language answers grounded in your loaded sources, with citation
- Escalation level on every response: confident / confirm with a lawyer / lawyer required
- Source freshness check: the skill flags the answer if a source hasn't been verified in 6+ months
- A list of right-question prompts before any meeting with a legal consultant - so you go in with the actual questions instead of the lawyer asking what you're asking about
SessionStart surfaces deadlines automatically. Anything in context/compliance.md overdue or due within 30 days appears at the top of every session. License renewal due in 14 days. VAT return due in 21 days. Visa expiring in 28 days. You don't need to remember.
Maintenance. Run /founder-os:legal-update quarterly. The command walks each loaded source, web-fetches the canonical URL, captures any material change (a new ministerial decision, an updated threshold, a fee schedule revision), and updates last_checked_on:. Anything older than 6 months gets surfaced first.
The skill is opt-in - the rest of Founder OS works without it. You activate it by running /founder-os:legal-setup when you want it.
Founder OS does not assume your stack. Most of the 73 skills work end-to-end with zero MCPs. A few (email-drafter, meeting-prep, knowledge-capture, session-handoff) produce better output with the relevant integration connected. Without a calendar MCP, /today shows no scheduled event next 24h. Without an email MCP, you paste the thread by hand. Without a Notion MCP, captures stay in brain/log.md as markdown. Nothing hard-fails on a missing MCP. Full catalog in docs/tools-and-mcps.md.
You want a no-code app with a UI. This is files plus skills, not an interface. You operate it through Claude Code.
You need shared state across a team. Founder OS is single-user. The Company OS layer (not in scope; community forks may extend) is what handles team coordination.
You want push notifications, automated triggers, or anything that fires while you sleep. Founder OS is the thinking layer. n8n, Make, Zapier, or your own scripts handle offline triggers.
You want a tool you install and forget. This is an operating layer that needs you to engage daily and review weekly. If you are not going to do that, this will sit unused like every other system.
Not a workflow engine. Not a webhook server. Not a cloud tool that stores your data on someone else's servers.
Your Notion. Your Claude. Your files on your disk if you want them there. If you want to delete it, run /founder-os:uninstall or just delete the folder. Nothing to unsubscribe from.
If you need crons, webhooks, offline triggers, or anything that fires while you sleep, that is a different tool (n8n, Make, whatever you use). Founder OS holds the thinking layer. You stay in charge of the rest.
Background plumbing the wizard sets up. You do not need to read this to use the system. The wizard handles all of it. Here for the curious.
- Decay-aware brain layer. Set
Decay after: 14don a flag and the SessionStart brief surfaces it for keep/kill review when it expires. - Stable entry IDs. Every new brain entry (log, pattern, flag, parked, need, know) is stamped with a
<channel>-YYYY-MM-DD-NNNID at write time. Skills cite IDs in summaries instead of restating content. - Token-aware progressive query.
scripts/query.pyand/founder-os:queryoperate in three modes:indexfor top hits,timelinefor entries within a 7-day window of an anchor file or ID,fullfor the body of specific IDs. Pure markdown plus stdlib, no vector DB. - Opt-in observation log. Set
FOUNDER_OS_OBSERVATIONS=1to enable aPostToolUsehook that appends one line per tool call tobrain/observations/<date>.jsonl./dreamrolls each day's activity into an OBSERVED section. Off by default. system/quarantine.mdis a catch-net so failing hooks and cron jobs stop being silent.- Approval gate matrix at
rules/approval-gates.mdtells the OS what to auto-run, what to ask about, and what to refuse outright. brain/relations.yamlis a hand-curated graph of edges between files, plus auto-extracted[[wikilinks]]refreshed by/founder-os:wiki-build.- Auto-memory layer. Claude Code reads
~/.claude/projects/<slug>/memory/MEMORY.mdautomatically at session start. The wizard seeds it so behavioral guards persist across sessions.
Full convention spec in rules/entry-conventions.md (generated by setup).
The Notion Starter Kit was scoped but is not yet shipped; community forks welcome. The system prompt at notion-package/system-prompts/founder-os-project-prompt.md is available for preview and testing only. Use the Claude Code path for the full setup experience.
Slash commands and hooks are Claude Code only. Local file writes run on any surface attached to the folder with write access - Claude Code, or a desktop folder-attached surface like Cowork or Antigravity. Web-only Cloud Claude reads this repo's files as context but cannot write locally or run /founder-os:setup from a checkout. Full surface-by-surface matrix in docs/tools-and-mcps.md.
Safe fallback prompt for Cloud Claude:
Use this repo as the Founder OS system layer. Read README.md and CLAUDE.md first.
If the founder context files are missing, stop and tell me to run /founder-os:setup
or use the Notion quickstart. Do not invent identity, clients, priorities, decisions,
revenue, or commitments.
Already installed? Say "what's on for today?" (/today) or "verify the OS" (/founder-os:verify). Need to install? See Install above. Business inquiry, install help, speaking: solutions@arcassystems.com.
Version 1.37.0. Public release. 73 skills, 35 commands, 689 tests.
v1.37.0 does two things. It installs the OS into one folder you own (default ~/founder-os) instead of a hidden cache dir, names the engine and your data as the separate things they are, and detects an existing install so you never end up with two copies. And it makes the role system real: it adds two role modes you can reach when you need them, CSO for the portfolio view across everything you run and CTO for your tool stack and automations, makes the BD trigger honest (you invoke it, it does not silently flip on a count nothing reads), and tells you the plain phrase to switch lens yourself ("switch to CMO").
v1.36.1 is a patch: it clears a red CI gate, stops the CMO role shipping an unfilled token, captures your timezone at setup, steers non-technical founders to the no-terminal install, and corrects the provider claim to match what actually runs (Claude Code).
v1.36 adds the output bias self-check. The OS now runs a check on its own reasoning before it gives an opinion of consequence, attaching a counter-case, a confidence level, what evidence is absent, and the do-nothing option, so advice is named-and-countered instead of confidently biased. It ships as rules/biases.md, a /founder-os:devil command to run it on demand, a boot rule plus a plain-language explanation of why the OS pushes back, and a one-line decision-prompt nudge in the capture hook. Full release history in CHANGELOG.md.
FounderOS ships in deliberate increments. Each release closes a specific gap that the previous one made visible. v1.21 added the visible queue and health check. v1.22 added the privacy tag and observation rollup. v1.23 added the natural-language capture path. v1.24 added Python preflight gates so writing and reasoning skills fail visibly when their data is not set up, rather than producing generic output silently. New releases land when there is a real gap worth closing, not on a calendar.
Community forks are encouraged. If you build something on top of FounderOS, open a discussion thread linking your fork. See CONTRIBUTING.md for what we accept and docs/forking.md for extension points.
- Bugs and small fixes: open an issue or PR. See
CONTRIBUTING.mdfor what we accept and what stays in the upstream private repo. - Security: report vulnerabilities to
solutions@arcassystems.com. SeeSECURITY.mdfor scope and response times.
MIT. Copyright (c) 2026 ARCAS Systems. See LICENSE.
People first. Systems second. AI where it earns the right.
Built by ARCAS Systems.