ATLAS / SEE THE PREREQUISITES
Learning is a constellation, not a list.
Each node is a Codex capability. Follow its prerequisite lineage, inspect the practicum, and see what gate makes the next node available.
PROMPT LAB / KEEP IT CONCRETE
Give Codex a finish line.
A useful prompt is not a magic phrase. It is a small brief with enough context to act and enough evidence to know when to stop.
Goal: … Context: … Constraints: … Done when: … Teach me: explain the key idea and the next question I should ask.
Good prompts survive follow-up questions. Great prompts make verification obvious.
BUILD WEEK / FLIGHT RECORDER
Keep the evidence in flight.
See what changed, what you supplied, and what still needs a real Codex verification. This is a local learning record—not a cryptographic proof.
TOOLKIT / USE THE SMALLEST SURFACE
Not every habit needs a tool.
Start with the lightest layer that will remember the right thing for the right amount of time.
CODEX COCKPIT / KEEP THESE CLOSE
Ten moves worth remembering.
Shortcuts can be customized in Settings. Slash commands depend on the current surface and account.
- ⌘/Ctrl K
- Command menuFind an action without hunting through UI.
- ⌘/Ctrl O
- Open folderSet the local workspace before you ask for work.
- ⌘/Ctrl N
- New taskGive each distinct outcome a clean conversation.
- ⌘/Ctrl G
- Search tasksReturn to a result, phrase, branch, or handoff.
- Ctrl `
- TerminalSee the dev server and checks beside the task.
- Enter / Tab
- CLI steer / queueChange this run or line up the next one.
- /plan
- Resolve ambiguityInterview, constrain, and agree before acting.
- /goal
- Follow an outcomeKeep long work aimed at measurable proof.
- /status · /usage
- Read the meterInspect session context and account token activity in CLI.
- /pet
- Follow activityWake or tuck the selected desktop pet.
OF
THUMB
Prompt once. Put repo rules in AGENTS.md. Package repeatable work as a skill. Connect live systems with MCP or an app. Schedule only when time—not conversation—should trigger the work.
A SELF-HOSTING APPRENTICESHIP
The tutorial is the first real project.
Sidequest turns a fresh Codex task into an instructor. You inspect this repo, change this interface, prove the change, capture what worked, and graduate by building a workflow you actually need.
Let Codex map unfamiliar ground.
Give it context, constraints, and a finish line.
Trust evidence, not confidence.
Turn one win into a durable workflow.