> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://ade-ac1c6011-dependabot-github-actions-actions-cache-6.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Set up the CTO

> Give the CTO a persona and model, connect GitHub and Linear, add a worker or two, and start with a planning prompt.

The CTO is usable in minutes. First-run setup is intentionally short — you pick a **personality** for the operator and it's ready to chat. A capable model, GitHub, Linear, and workers all layer in afterward, only when you need them.

<Frame caption="Start the CTO from a chat and let it operate across the project.">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/ade-ac1c6011-dependabot-github-actions-actions-cache-6/mZiHD0-x8whDsXL3/media/features/agent-chat/run-orchestrator.webp?fit=max&auto=format&n=mZiHD0-x8whDsXL3&q=85&s=e34573f2f397c0e3919b15b838658164" alt="Running the CTO operator from a chat" width="1948" height="1350" data-path="media/features/agent-chat/run-orchestrator.webp" />
</Frame>

## First run

The first time you open the CTO tab, a short wizard asks you to pick a **personality preset** — the only required step. Everything else is deferred to Settings and the relevant tabs.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Pick a personality">
    Choose a preset — strategic, professional, hands-on, casual, minimal, or custom. Custom lets you write your own overlay. This sets the CTO's tone; its core doctrine is fixed by ADE and not editable.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose a model (optional)">
    In CTO Settings, set the provider, model, and reasoning effort. The CTO reasons across the whole project, so favor a capable model over a fast one. Until you pick one, the CTO uses the project's default model.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Connect GitHub">
    Recommended for PR summaries, CI explanations, and review follow-up across lanes.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Connect Linear (optional)">
    Connect it when issues should drive lanes, PRs, and status updates. See [Linear](/integrations/linear).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add workers (optional)">
    Create worker identities for recurring responsibilities such as testing or review. See [Workers](/cto/workers).
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  Setup finishes without Linear, a model choice, or any workers — those connect later. The CTO is meant to be a daily chat surface first.
</Note>

## Personality presets

The preset shapes the CTO's communication style. The underlying operator doctrine and capability set are owned by ADE and stay fixed across presets — you're choosing tone, not rewriting the agent.

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Strategic" icon="chess">
    Big-picture framing and trade-offs.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Professional" icon="briefcase">
    Measured, businesslike updates.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Hands-on" icon="wrench">
    Pragmatic and execution-focused.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Casual" icon="handshake">
    Relaxed, conversational tone.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Minimal" icon="bolt">
    Terse, low-noise replies.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Custom" icon="sparkles">
    Write your own personality overlay.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

<Tip>
  You can re-run the wizard any time from **CTO → Settings → Reset Onboarding**, and edit the persona and model from the identity editor without resetting anything.
</Tip>

## First useful prompts

Lead with planning and summarization before delegation — that's where the CTO earns its keep.

```text theme={null}
Summarize the current project state and identify the highest-risk open work.
```

```text theme={null}
Plan how to split this feature into reviewable lanes before anyone starts coding.
```

```text theme={null}
Read Linear issue ENG-142 and recommend the first lane to create.
```

<Tip>
  Treat the CTO's first plan as a draft. Refine the split in chat until the lanes are small and independent, then approve before any worker starts coding.
</Tip>

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Workers" icon="users" href="/cto/workers">
    Manage the delegated agent identities the CTO assigns work to.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Linear" icon="layers" href="/integrations/linear">
    Connect Linear so the CTO can triage and route issues.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>