Before your call
There are four things to sort before we meet. Once you've done them, you're all set. Bailey handles everything else.
About 15 minutes
Get your Anthropic API key
Step 1 of 4 · This is what lets your assistant think. About 5 minutes.
Your assistant runs on Claude, Anthropic's AI. You'll need an account to get an API key. This is separate from any Claude subscription you might already have - it's a different account for developers and API access.
- Go to console.anthropic.com
- Click Sign Up and create an account
- Once you're in, go to API Keys in the left sidebar
- Click Create Key
- Give it a name - something like "My Assistant" works fine
- Copy the key immediately. It starts with
sk-ant-. This is the only time you'll see it, so save it somewhere safe - Go to Billing and add $10-20 credit to get started
Download Telegram
Step 2 of 4 · This is how you'll talk to your assistant. About 3 minutes.
On your phone
- Download Telegram from the App Store or Google Play
- Create an account - just a phone number is all you need
On your computer
- Go to telegram.org/apps
- Download Telegram Desktop for Mac or Windows
- Log in with the same account as your phone
That's all. You don't need to do anything else in Telegram. Bailey will set up your assistant and send you a link to start chatting.
OpenClaw can also work through WhatsApp, Slack, or Discord if you'd strongly prefer one of those - just let Bailey know. They're a bit trickier to set up, so Telegram is the default.
Choose a name
Step 3 of 4 · Give your assistant an identity. About 1 minute.
This might sound odd, but pick a real name for your assistant. Not "AI Bot" or "Assistant" - an actual name.
Here's why it matters. If you think of it as a tool, you'll treat it like one. But if you give it a name, you start to see things from its perspective - what it knows, what it doesn't, how to fill in the gaps. That empathy actually makes you better at working with it. You'll write better prompts without even trying.
It also just makes the whole experience more enjoyable. It stops being software and starts being a companion. (Mine's called Baymax.)
Totally up to you - but have a name in mind before your call. Bring it with you and we'll get it set up together.
Introduce yourself
Step 4 of 4 · Help your assistant get to know you. About 5 minutes.
Your assistant works best when it knows who it's working with. Before the call, put together a quick intro - as long or short as you'd like.
Think about things like: who you are, what you do for work, where you live, what a typical day looks like, what your goals are at the moment. The more you give it, the better it'll understand you from day one.
It won't try to memorise everything word for word. It'll pick out what matters and use that as its starting context for how to help you.
The easiest way? Open a voice-to-text app and just talk for five minutes straight. Don't overthink it - just ramble about yourself. We'll copy it in during setup.
Optional but handy
Apps that make your assistant more useful.
None of these are required. But they're worth knowing about.
Monologue Paid
iOS
Voice to text app. Increases the bandwidth between you and your assistant - move at the speed of talking instead of typing. Worth the spend.
SHOTTR Free
Mac
Screenshot tool. Makes it easy to grab something on screen and send it across to your assistant.
Syncthing Free
Mac, Windows, Linux
Creates a shared folder between your computer and your assistant. Drop a file in and your assistant can read it. No cloud upload needed. Bailey will help set this up if you want it.
That's it. You're ready.
Once you've sorted these four things, there's nothing else to prepare. Bailey will handle everything before the call. When you join, your assistant will already be running - just say hello.
Questions before the call? Email Bailey directly