Who this is for
Everyone on this track before using agents on real client or work files.
The emergency brake
- About to point an agent at a shared drive “to clean it up”? Stop. That’s a bulk-delete accident waiting for a typo.
- Not sure a folder is safe? Don’t. Ask on a consult with the folder name — 30 seconds beats a restore.
Write your never-list
About 5 min
Agents can read — and sometimes edit — files in reach. Smaller folder = smaller mistake. Copy this into your words, and add job-specific folders (e.g. Clients/, Taxes/):
| Never point agents at… | Why |
|---|---|
| Whole Users / home directory | Mixes personal + every project; huge blast radius |
| Desktop / Downloads dumps | Secrets hiding in screenshots, zips, exports |
| iCloud / Dropbox / Drive roots | Synced life dump, not one project |
| Client PII piles (IDs, medical, card data) | Wrong tool; legal risk — redacted copies or don’t |
C:\ or / | The entire machine |
Make the pre-flight card
About 5 min
Sticky note, where you sit:
Pre-flight — every session
- Open the project folder (not the parent).
- Terminal here.
pwd+ls/dir.- Then the agent.
Do this week
About 5 min
- Run three agent sessions — each starting with the pre-flight. Mark the dates on the verify card.
Try this
Do one full pre-flight right now, cold — no lesson open.
You should see: all four lines from memory: folder, terminal, pwd+ls, agent. If you missed one, that sticky note earns its place.
Grant an agent access to a shared drive root to “clean it up.” Folder hygiene is free and boring — that’s the point.
Success check
- Never-list written
- Pre-flight sticky exists where you sit
- Plan for three verified launches this week
Common failure modes
| Failure | Fix |
|---|---|
| “It’s only my machine” | Mistakes still overwrite your stuff; client folders are worse |
Opening Projects to work on one app | Still siblings — open the one app folder |
Don't buy organizers
Don’t buy a paid “AI file organizer.” Don’t grant an agent a shared drive root. Then stop — return to TA-02+ if installs remain, otherwise keep the habit and practice.
Three verified launches this week. If a path confuses you mid-week, bring it to a free consult — folder questions are quick.