AI automation terms in plain English. No jargon. No fluff.
A design approach where one system translates requests for another. MCPs are adapters: they translate between AI and external services like Gmail or Calendar. You describe what you want in plain English, the adapter handles the technical handshake.
A way for two programs to talk to each other. When Claude reads your email, it's using Gmail's API. You don't need to understand APIs to use them — that's what tools like gws CLI handle for you.
Making a computer do something that used to require a human. Not replacing humans — freeing them to do the parts that require judgment. The goal isn't to remove people from the loop; it's to remove busywork from people.
The universal workflow pattern. Every job follows it: capture the input (email, data, request), process it (sort, analyze, transform), deliver the output (response, report, action).
A text-based way to control your computer. Instead of clicking buttons, you type commands. gws CLI lets you manage your entire Google Workspace from the command line. It looks intimidating at first — then it becomes the fastest way to do everything.
When an AI session begins with no memory of previous conversations. Solved by giving AI access to persistent storage (like a knowledge base) so it can load context at the start of every session. Without this, every conversation starts from zero.
Keeping the information you feed to AI clean, structured, and relevant. Garbage in, garbage out. Good context hygiene means your AI produces better results on the first try, every time.
The amount of text an AI can "see" at once. When the window fills up, older information fades. That's why persistent memory matters — it outlives the conversation. Think of it as the AI's short-term memory capacity.
A workflow that runs from start to finish without human intervention. Capture, process, deliver — all automated. Humans only step in for judgment calls. The goal of every mature workflow.
When an automated system encounters something it can't handle and alerts a human. Good systems escalate gracefully — they don't just fail silently. The difference between a useful automation and a liability.
When a system's outputs inform its next run. Your morning briefing gets better over time because it learns what you actually read and act on. Feedback loops are what separate static scripts from systems that improve.
A system where AI does the work but a human approves before anything goes out. AI drafts the email, you hit send. You stay in control without doing the grunt work.
Three categories of knowledge. What you know you know, what you know you don't know, and what you don't know you don't know. Learning converts unknowns into knowns. Awareness of these layers changes how you approach any problem.
An adapter that lets AI talk to external services. Instead of you copy-pasting data into a chat, the MCP lets AI read your email, check your calendar, or write to a spreadsheet directly. The bridge between conversation and action.
Information that survives beyond a single AI conversation. Stored in a database, spreadsheet, or file — so AI can pick up where it left off. Without persistent memory, every session is a cold start.
The instruction you give to AI. A good prompt includes context, specificity, examples, and constraints. The difference between "help me" and "draft a 100-word email to my client about the Tuesday deadline, professional tone."
The practice of giving AI precise, detailed instructions. Vague prompts produce vague results. Specific prompts produce usable output on the first try. The single highest-leverage skill in AI automation.
Software you rent monthly. Zapier, Notion, Slack — all SaaS. You pay forever, you own nothing, and if the company changes terms, you adapt or leave. The subscription model works great for vendors, less so for you.
A text-based interface for controlling your computer. Instead of clicking buttons, you type commands. On Mac, open Terminal (Cmd+Space, type 'Terminal'). On Windows, open PowerShell (Windows key, type 'PowerShell'). On Linux, press Ctrl+Alt+T. It sounds intimidating but you'll be comfortable with it in 10 minutes.
A sequence of steps that accomplish a task. Email triage is a workflow: capture (check inbox), process (filter, prioritize), deliver (summary to you). Workflows can be manual, semi-automated, or fully automated.
A single-purpose automation that does one thing well. Chain components together to build end-to-end workflows. Like functions in programming — one input, one output, one job. Composable by design.
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