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The operating system for intellectual work. Your Knowledge. Your Experience. Your Environment — runs on top of any AI platform.
Repository type:
Base/Formats(FMT) — distribution template. After forking, it becomes your personal environment with AI agents.
AI assistants can generate text, code, and answers. But most users face the same problems:
- Context is lost. Every new AI session starts from scratch. Yesterday's decisions, plans, and agreements are forgotten.
- Knowledge stays in your head. You finish a course, read a book, solve a problem — but a month later you cannot reconstruct your reasoning.
- AI replaces thinking instead of augmenting it. You get an answer but do not become more competent. Without AI, you are back to zero.
- No system. Plans live in notes, tasks live in your head, knowledge lives in chat logs. Everything is fragmented.
- Time disappears. It is unclear what you worked on, what you accomplished, or where you are heading.
IWE (Intellectual Work Environment) is an intellectual work environment.
Just as an IDE unifies an editor, compiler, and debugger into one environment for a developer — IWE unifies knowledge, planning, and AI agents into one environment for thinking.
| IDE (for code) | IWE (for thinking) |
|---|---|
| Editor → you write code | Exocortex → you capture knowledge |
| Compiler → checks syntax | Principles → verify the correctness of decisions |
| Debugger → finds errors | Opening→Work→Closing (OWC) protocols → find knowledge and context loss |
| Linter → improves quality | ArchGate → assesses architectural decisions |
| Git → change history | Strategist → work history and planning |
Core principle: exoskeleton, not prosthesis. IWE augments your thinking — it does not replace it. After every session you become more competent, not just better supplied with outputs. Details: principles-vs-skills.md.
| Term | What it is |
|---|---|
| Exocortex | Your external memory — files containing plans, context, and conclusions that Claude reads in every session |
| Pack | A formalized knowledge base for your Domain — the single source of truth for domain knowledge |
| OWC | Opening → Work → Closing — the ritual for every session and every day; prevents context loss |
| ArchGate | Structured assessment of architectural decisions across 7 characteristics (instead of "I think this looks good") |
| Strategist | An AI agent that automatically drafts day/week plans and tracks Progress |
| 5 repository families | Recommended structure for separating code, knowledge, and data — see below |
The exocortex is not a single Repository — it is a set of repositories with clear boundaries: code, domain knowledge, and personal data do not mix. setup.sh creates a minimal starting point (your own strategic Repository plus 3 base principles repositories); the rest is added as needed.
| Family | What it stores | Example name |
|---|---|---|
Base (ZP/FPF/SPF/FMT-*) |
Platform principles and formats — delivered ready to use | ZP, FPF |
PACK-* |
Formalized domain knowledge (source of truth) | PACK-my-domain |
DS-* |
Code, plans, courses — derived from Pack | DS-strategy |
PD-* |
Personal user data of a single type (no code) | PD-persona, PD-metrics |
MC-* |
Agent data (dialogues, service logs) — not read by humans day-to-day | MC-sessions |
Detailed data domain map and rationale: ADR-004.
Every session and every day moves through three stages:
- Opening — Claude reviews the plan, identifies the task, and aligns on the approach. You do not start from scratch — the AI knows the context.
- Work — as work proceeds, Claude captures valuable knowledge (Capture-to-Pack). Insights are not lost.
- Closing — the result is recorded, the plan is updated, and the next session starts where you left off.
Skipping Opening = unplanned work. Skipping Closing = lost results.
Your knowledge, principles, distinctions, plans, and context are stored in files that Claude reads in every session. This is not a "prompt" — it is an accumulated base that grows with you.
What you learn does not stay in your head. Valuable knowledge is formalized into a Pack — the passport of a Domain. A Pack is the single source of truth for domain knowledge. Details: LEARNING-PATH.md.
Every professional drowns in information: 12+ tools (Notion, Google Docs, Slack, ChatGPT, courses...), knowledge is scattered, nothing is connected. AI answers questions but does not know your context — every time from scratch.
IWE is for those who want to change that:
- Entrepreneurs and managers — you strategize, make decisions, manage projects. IWE provides a system: from weekly planning to formalizing domain knowledge.
- Engineers and developers — you work with code and architecture. IWE preserves context between sessions; the AI knows your codebase, technical debt, and Roadmap.
- Researchers and analysts — you study, synthesize, and publish. IWE turns scattered notes into a structured knowledge base that grows with you.
- Everyone doing intellectual work — and who wants symbiosis with AI, not dependency on it. An exoskeleton for thinking, not a prosthesis.
| Scenario | What happens | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Product development | Claude knows the architecture, technical debt, and Roadmap. Every session continues where the last ended — no starting from scratch. | SC.013, SC.015 |
| Documentation | Knowledge is captured in Pack as work proceeds. No need to "write docs later" — they are written during the work itself. | SC.004, SC.014 |
| Project coordination | WeekPlan, DayPlan, Work Product registry — the Strategist helps plan and track Progress. | SC.001, SC.002 |
| Review and Refactoring | ArchGate assesses decisions across 7 characteristics. Not "I think this looks good" — a structured Assessment. | SC.015 |
| Scenario | What happens | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Taking a course | Claude helps capture key ideas, asks questions to check Understanding, and connects new material to what you already know. | SC.003 |
| Writing articles | A creative Pipeline: note → draft → prepared piece → publication. Every Artifact is tracked. | SC.005 |
| Strategizing | A weekly session: Review of last week, planning the next, alignment with goals. The Strategist prepares a draft — you make the decisions. | SC.011 |
| Building a knowledge base | Your Pack grows. After six months you have a formalized domain knowledge base, not a collection of notes. | SC.014 |
Full catalog of 15 use cases: USE-CASES.md
- In the morning — the Strategist has drafted a plan: a Telegram notification plus a DayPlan file in the Repository.
- You open VS Code →
claude→ Claude knows what is in the plan and suggests starting with the top Priority. - You work — Claude captures knowledge along the way (Capture-to-Pack).
- You close the session — the result is recorded, the plan is updated.
- On Monday — the Strategist prepares a draft weekly plan; you discuss it in a strategizing session.
A minimum of 4 GiB of free RAM is required while Claude Code (or another agent) is running on top of IWE. With less memory — especially on shared servers with multiple users — file read/write tools may intermittently fail with a message such as PreToolUse hook did not respond before its timeout. This message indicates insufficient host-process memory, not a broken template hook (issue #461) — bash scripts/iwe-audit.sh shows the current available memory level under the "Available memory" section.
Quick start (Git, Node.js, Claude Code already installed): QUICK-START.md — 15 minutes to your first session.
Full installation from a clean machine: SETUP-GUIDE.md — 30–60 minutes including all dependencies.
Not on macOS or not using Claude Code? See PORTABILITY.md — instructions for Kimi Code, Hermes Agent, and others.
Different agent or LLM? IWE is not tied to Claude. If your agent can see files in the repository folder and edit files, it will work. How to connect → PORTABILITY.md.
mkdir -p ~/IWE && cd ~/IWE
gh repo fork iwesys/IWE --clone
cd FMT-exocortex-template
bash setup.shAfter installation:
cd ~/IWE
claudeTell Claude: "Let's run our first strategic session" — and it will guide you through defining goals, creating your first plan, and configuring the Environment.
IWE updates like a distribution — you receive platform updates without losing your personal settings.
Extensions (extensions/) — add your own blocks to protocols:
# Add end-of-day reflection
echo "## Day Reflection
- What was challenging?
- What would I do differently?
- What deserves recognition?" > extensions/day-close.after.mdParameters (params.yaml) — enable or disable protocol steps:
reflection_enabled: true # Enable reflection
video_check: false # Disable video check
multiplier_enabled: true # IWE multiplierUpdates — bash update.sh updates the platform while preserving your extensions/, params.yaml, and edits to CLAUDE.md (3-way merge).
| Document | Contents |
|---|---|
| Beginner's guide | Start here if this is your first time hearing about IWE. What it is, why it matters, what it consists of — no technical jargon. |
| Quick start | 15 minutes from git clone to your first session. For those who already have Git and Claude Code. |
| SETUP-GUIDE.md | Step-by-step installation from a clean machine. Requirements, modes (core/full), verification. |
| LEARNING-PATH.md | The IWE learning path: Architecture, principles, protocols, Pack, roles. |
| DATA-POLICY.md | Data policy: what is collected, where it is stored, how to delete it. |
| DATA-RESIDENCY.md | Residency principle: data you bring into IWE from external sources (health, calendar, working hours) — where it may and may not go. |
| IWE-HELP.md | Quick reference and FAQ. |
| principles-vs-skills.md | Why principles matter more than skills: the generative hierarchy. |
| CHANGELOG.md | Template change history. |
Two documents cover adjacent topics:
DATA-POLICY.mdcovers data the platform collects about you;DATA-RESIDENCY.mdcovers data you bring into IWE from external sources.
Q: Is an Anthropic subscription required?
A: For the full installation (Claude Code) — Claude Pro ($20/month) is recommended. If needed, you can upgrade to Claude Max (~$100/month) for unlimited use. For the minimal installation (setup.sh --core) — works with any AI CLI. Details: SETUP-GUIDE.md.
Q: Does it work with other AI systems (not Claude)? A: Yes, three agents are supported out of the box:
- Claude Code — full support: reads
CLAUDE.md, all skills and hooks work. - Kimi Code (VS Code) — reads
AGENTS.mdautomatically when the repository is opened. Customization:extensions/orAGENTS-agent-blocks.md. Skills (/day-openetc.) via Claude Code. - Hermes Agent — connect Aisystant MCP through Hermes settings and it receives instructions automatically.
Other agents (Cursor, Copilot, Gemini) require adaptation. Details: PORTABILITY.md.
The minimal installation (setup.sh --core) works without being tied to a specific agent.
Q: Does it work on Linux/Windows?
A: Yes. The core works on any OS. Strategist automation: macOS — launchd, Linux — systemd (user units), cloud option (OS-independent) — GitHub Actions. Windows: setup.sh and the core run through Git Bash (installed with Git for Windows) — WSL is not required; WSL remains a fallback for those who prefer a full Linux layer. Not tested live on real Windows hardware (no Windows runner in CI) — details and an honest caveat: SETUP-GUIDE.md § Windows.
Q: What if the computer is off or sleeping — will automation stop?
A: Cloud Scheduler (GitHub Actions) runs in the cloud even when the computer is off. For local agents: scripts automatically prevent sleep during operation (macOS: caffeinate, Linux: systemd-inhibit). For laptops, it is recommended to configure automatic wake and disable idle sleep — see SETUP-GUIDE.md.
Q: What is a Pack? A: A formalized Knowledge Domain — the single source of truth for domain knowledge. Details: LEARNING-PATH.md.
Q: Is my data secure? A: Three protection zones: local, GitHub (private repositories), and platform (per-user isolation). Details: DATA-POLICY.md.
Q: How does IWE differ from Obsidian / Notion / Logseq?
A: Obsidian is a note storage tool. IWE is a work environment with protocols, AI agents, and knowledge formalization. For notes, you can open a separate governance Repository (DS-strategy) in Obsidian — using only that folder as a vault. Opening the IWE root (~/IWE) as an Obsidian vault is not supported: it may contain very large Markdown files (for example, FPF/FPF-Spec.md) that cause Obsidian to show a white screen. The entire workspace can be safely browsed in VS Code.
Q: Do I need to know how to program? A: No. The template is a ready-made Configuration. Installation is done through setup.sh. Work is done through Claude Code in natural language.
Q: Can I use IWE without the Strategist? A: Yes. Claude Code + CLAUDE.md + memory/ work fully on their own. The Strategist is planning automation. Without it, you plan manually.
Q: How do I configure the strategizing day?
A: In memory/day-rhythm-config.yaml, change strategy_day: sunday to the day you need. Details: LEARNING-PATH.md.
Q: The clone ended up in ~ instead of ~/IWE?
A: All installation commands must be run in a single terminal session. If you opened a new terminal, it starts from ~. Delete the folder from ~ and repeat from cd ~/IWE. Details: SETUP-GUIDE.md.
IWE is an environment you build alone. But you develop it together.
The IWE community is a closed chat for Practitioners working with the same system: OWC, Pack, exocortex. A place where the discussion is not "how to write better prompts" but how to build intellectual work seriously.
- Work Product reviews — participants share real Packs, plans, and Retrospectives. They receive feedback from people who understand what "closing without recording the result" means.
- IWE installation and customization experience — what broke, how it was fixed, which extensions proved useful.
- Method discussions — the OWC fractal, ArchGate, Capture-to-Pack in practice: what works, where theory diverges from reality.
- Links and findings — tools, patterns, SOTA that fit the IWE philosophy.
You can study the system alone. But most questions arise at the application stage: "How do I formalize this Knowledge Domain?", "Am I using OWC correctly?", "Who has Experience with this tool?"
In the community, those questions are answered by people who have already been through it.
- GitHub Discussions — questions, ideas, share your setup.
- Issues — bug reports and feature requests.
Deep Practice, Work Product reviews, direct support. Entry is through the "IWE for Practitioners" seminar (5000₽) via the bot @aist_me_bot.
See CONTRIBUTING.md for how to contribute to the project.
IWE team developers (T4+ level): the single entry point is Getting started as a developer. In 10 minutes you will understand the development Pipeline (6 stations, dual output) and complete your first task.
MIT