Hey — you opened this instead of doomscrolling. I'm proud of you. Welcome to Beyond Brief, where I tell you about AI stuff my wife is tired of hearing about. This week: OpenAI accidentally validated my side project. Let's go. 🚀
I Accidentally Built What OpenAI Just Announced
So OpenAI dropped a blog post this week about "long-running agents."
I read it. Spat out my coffee.
They're building exactly what we've been shipping with Agent in a Box — except they need a team of engineers and 6 months. You can buy ours today for the price of a nice laptop.
The TL;DR of what they announced:
Skills = Reusable instructions (✅ Our SKILL.md system)
Shell = Hosted containers (✅ Built-in exec + browser tools)
Compaction = Auto-compress context (✅ Handled automatically)
The kicker: They highlighted a customer (Glean) who saw 73% → 85% accuracy just by structuring their AI with skills instead of one-off prompts.
That's not a small lift. That's the difference between "neat toy" and "actual employee."
What This Means For You
1. Validation. When someone asks "is this AI agent stuff real?" you can point to OpenAI betting the farm on it.
2. Timing. The window for early advantage is closing. Right now you look smart. In 12 months you'll just look like everyone else.
3. Price. OpenAI's enterprise agent tools? Not priced yet, but history says $$$$. Agent in a Box is $1,499 one-time. Plus optional $99/mo if you want us to keep it updated.
What We're Stealing From Their Playbook
Domain secrets — Instead of raw API keys floating around in skills, authenticated secrets that inject at runtime. Way safer.
Negative examples in skills — Already doing this, but doubling down. "Use this skill WHEN... DON'T use when..."
Skills as living SOPs — Your Agent in a Box can have skills for account planning, content generation, competitive research.
Want Your Own AI Employee? Pick Your Speed.
Option 1: Do It Yourself (Free)
I just shipped The Claw Kit — a free desktop app that turns setting up your own AI agent from a 2-hour terminal nightmare into a 5-minute download.
No API keys. No configuration files. No "copy-paste this into your .env" nonsense.
Download it to your Mac, double-click, scan a QR code, and you're chatting with a personal AI that runs entirely on your machine. That's it. You're up and running.
It does the same stuff I've been talking about — email triage, research, calendar management, memory. You just set it up yourself.
If you're the type who builds your own IKEA furniture and actually enjoys it? This is your move.
Option 2: Done For You ($1,499)
Don't want to touch any of it? I get it.
Agent in a Box is a pre-configured Mac Mini that shows up at your door ready to go. Hardware included. Skills pre-built. Everything configured for your business.
Runs 100% locally — no cloud, no subscriptions, no data leaving your house
Costs $1,499 one time — a part-time VA costs that every month
Gets smarter over time — every interaction teaches it your preferences, your style, your workflows
Optional $99/mo maintenance — we keep it updated, you keep working
The Claw Kit is the test drive. Agent in a Box is the keys to the car with the seat already adjusted.
Either way — you end up with an AI employee that works 24/7, never calls in sick, and doesn't drink your coffee.
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🔥 TRENDING: Microsoft's AI CEO Says Your Job Is Toast
Mustafa Suleyman just said something that should make you uncomfortable.
In an interview with the Financial Times, the Microsoft AI CEO claimed AI will replace most white-collar work within 12 to 18 months. Not 10 years. Not 5. Next year.
Let that land for a second.
He's talking about lawyers. Accountants. Project managers. Marketing people. Anyone sitting at a computer doing knowledge work. His exact words: "Most of those tasks will be fully automated."
This isn't some futurist blogger speculating on a podcast. This is the AI CEO at the company that owns LinkedIn, Office 365, and is embedded in basically every enterprise workflow on earth. He has data we don't.
Here's my take: Whether it's 18 months or 36 months doesn't matter. The direction is clear. If your job involves processing information and making decisions, start building AI skills now. Not next quarter. Not after you "do more research." Now.
The good news? You can start today. For free. Download The Claw Kit and see what an AI agent actually feels like. The window is closing — be the person who saw it coming.
Here's a number I love: marketers spent 30% more on email sponsorships year-over-year according to Paved's latest data. Meanwhile, traditional ad spending is projected to decline 2.9% in 2026.
The money is moving. And it's moving toward newsletters.
Why? Newsletters offer what social media can't — direct access to engaged, opted-in audiences with zero algorithmic interference. Open rates for niche newsletters regularly hit 40-50%. Try getting that on Instagram.
Three ways to capitalize:
Join a native ad network. Beehiiv's Ad Network is the easiest entry point — low-lift, built right in.
Pitch direct sponsorships to brands in your niche. Higher CPM, more work, but way more money.
Use Boosts to promote other newsletters and earn per subscriber referred.
The real numbers: On Beehiiv, creators with 1,000-5,000 subscribers can earn $200-800/month through the ad network alone. Add Boosts and direct sponsors and that number climbs fast. The key? Consistent sends and strong engagement.
Want to start your own newsletter? I can help you spin one up from scratch — the strategy, the tech, the content engine, all of it. Book a call here.
Questions? Just reply to this email. I read everything.