Building Your "Synthetic You": A Personal AI Setup That Actually Works

Everyone talks about AI agents, but most people don't know how to build one that reflects how they actually think and work. The result is AI that feels generic—helpful but impersonal, efficient but not quite right.

What if you could create an AI assistant that understood your voice, your priorities, and your way of working? That's what I call a "Synthetic You"—and it's more achievable than you might think.

What Is a Synthetic You?

A Synthetic You is a personalized AI configuration that:

• Writes in your voice and style
• Knows your priorities and preferences
• Understands your work context
• Makes decisions the way you would

It's not about replacing you. It's about extending you—handling the routine so you can focus on what matters.

Step 1: Document Your Voice

Start by collecting examples of how you communicate. Gather:

• Emails you're proud of
• Documents you've written
• Messages that sound most like "you"
• Phrases you use frequently

Look for patterns. Are you formal or casual? Direct or diplomatic? Do you use short sentences or long ones? Do you ask questions or make statements?

Create a Voice Document

Write a brief guide that describes your communication style. Include specific examples. This becomes the foundation for your AI's personality.

Step 2: Define Your Priorities

What do you value? What are your non-negotiables? Your AI needs to know:

1. Your professional goals
2. Your time constraints
3. Your communication preferences
4. Your decision-making criteria

Be specific. "I value efficiency" is too vague. "I prefer meetings under 30 minutes and always want an agenda beforehand" is actionable.

Step 3: Build Your Knowledge Base

Your AI is only as good as the context you give it. Create documents that capture:

• Your current projects and their status
• Key people you work with and your relationships
• Recurring tasks and how you handle them
• Common questions and your standard answers

Update this regularly. The more current the context, the more useful the AI.

Step 4: Create Custom Instructions

Most AI tools allow custom instructions. Use them. Combine your voice document, priorities, and context into clear instructions that guide every interaction.

Good custom instructions are specific, not generic. Instead of "be helpful," try "prioritize brevity, always suggest next actions, and flag anything that seems urgent."

Step 5: Train Through Use

The Synthetic You gets better with use. Every time you correct it or refine its output, you're teaching it. Pay attention to:

• What it gets wrong consistently
• What it gets right that surprises you
• Where your instructions are unclear

Iterate. Refine your instructions. Add examples. Over time, the AI becomes more and more aligned with how you actually work.

The Payoff

A well-built Synthetic You can draft emails that need minimal editing. It can summarize meetings in your style. It can prepare for conversations the way you would.

This isn't about being lazy. It's about leverage—using AI to multiply your capabilities without losing your voice.