1.1 Why Start with This Chapter, and What to Prepare First
Why Start with This Chapter
Many people get stuck right away in the anxiety of “Should I learn more concepts first?”
But for readers starting from zero, the most effective starting point is usually not reading one more explanation, but getting your first positive feedback loop:
So I really don’t need to learn the full syntax first, and I actually can build a page.
So the most important goal of Chapter 1 is not to “master every method,” but to create your first project first.
The task here is not to master complete prompt theory, nor to make the project perfect in one go, but to first build a version that can be previewed, shown to others, and used for simple chatting.
Don’t Rush to Open the Tools Yet
Many beginners jump in and say directly to AI: “Help me make a personal homepage, and add a chatbot.”
A page may indeed be generated, but it often feels empty, generic, and like a template site. That’s not because the AI “can’t do it,” but because you haven’t given it enough real material yet.
This is especially true for a digital twin.
If you haven’t yet sorted out “who I am, what I want others to see, and what people are most likely to ask,” then it will also struggle to answer naturally on your behalf.
What You Really Need to Do at This Step
Before generating anything formally, you only need to prepare a batch of usable first-version material.
Note: “usable,” not “perfect.” The task in this section is not to write prompts yet, but to gather the things you genuinely already have. In the next section, we’ll put these materials into a low-barrier template.
Collect Facts First, Then Think About How to Say Them
Many people try from the start to write a complete, polished self-introduction that sounds like promotional copy, but the more they write, the more hollow it becomes. A more reliable approach is to record facts first, then wording.
You don’t need beautiful sentences yet. As long as you jot down the following types of information, that’s more than enough:
| Type | What level to note down for now |
|---|---|
| Basic information | Name, profile photo, one-sentence introduction |
| Current status | What you’ve mainly been doing recently, and what you most want others to remember |
| Interests and traits | 2–4 interests, and one personal trait that is especially memorable |
| Visitor perspective | Who the people visiting your homepage are likely to be |
| Common questions | The 3 questions people are most likely to ask you |
For now, these can be written as loose notes. They do not need to look like a complete prompt already.
What Kind of Material Is More Useful
The most important thing to remember here is: specific is more useful than abstract, and real is more useful than polished.
For example, between the following two styles, the latter usually makes it easier for AI to create something that feels like you:
| Vague version | More useful version |
|---|---|
| I’m a passionate person | I’ve recently been organizing my work and trying to use AI for personal projects |
| I like many things | I’m especially interested in AI applications, writing, and travel |
| I want to make a great homepage | I want to make a personal homepage that shows who I am and can answer common questions |
| I hope the chatbot is a bit smarter | I hope the digital twin can answer “What have you been working on lately?” “What projects do you have?” and “How can people contact you?” |
You’ll notice that truly useful material is not “better writing,” but information that is more grounded.
Why This Batch of Material Matters So Much
Because it will directly determine two outcomes.
1. Whether the page feels like “your own page”
If the information you provide is too vague, AI will easily generate a page that looks fine on the surface, but could apply to anyone.
2. Whether the digital twin feels like it is “speaking for you”
A digital twin is not an encyclopedia. Its most important job is to answer questions based on the facts you provide, introduce you in a way that is close to how you would do it, and stop honestly when it doesn’t know, rather than making things up.
So this step is really about laying the foundation for the page and digital twin that come later.
What You Do Not Need to Prepare Right Now
Right now, you do not need a perfect resume, a complete set of project materials, a highly complex character profile document, or a fully developed personal brand story.
The basic version of Chapter 1 only asks you to prepare a usable first batch of material. In Chapters 4 and 5, we’ll continue refining the content and style.
Next, we’ll put this batch of material into a low-barrier fill-in-the-blank template, so these scattered facts can become a first actionable version of the requirements.
Next section: Use a fill-in-the-blank template to write your first version of the requirements →