TUTORIAL: go from ChatGPT.com to building your first agent

AI with ALLIE

The professional’s guide to quick AI bites for your personal life, work life, and beyond.

Hi there,

I recently led an AI workshop for a room of seriously smart people. Deep experts in their fields, most using ChatGPT every single day. The loudest reaction came when I switched the desktop app from ChatGPT to Codex. The room literally went “OHHHHH!!!”

The “code” in Codex makes people think it’s for engineers. But Codex is just OpenAI’s workspace for putting AI agents to work: researching, working with your files, using your browser to complete tasks for you, and building things you ask for. If you can describe what you want in plain English, you can absolutely use this agent power to get more out of the ChatGPT platform. Remember: no one gets left behind in my newsletter.

I made a 30-minute beginner walkthrough, starting from literally downloading the desktop app, to all the things you should try first. If you’re already using ChatGPT every day, this is exactly how I want you to start using AI agents.

I also showed the video to an OpenAI employee who said in reference to one of the buttons I walked through, “I didn’t even know we had that feature!”

Start here: Download the ChatGPT desktop app. Follow the setup in my tutorial, switch the top-left dropdown to Codex, and open Plugins to connect a tool you actually use, like Gmail or Google Drive. No need to connect your entire life immediately.

1. Talk through a problem you want solved

Hit the dictation mic and tell Codex what’s going on. You don’t need to organize your thoughts into a perfect prompt first. In the video, I start with wanting to see my personal trainer more often and somehow end up talking about my suitcase and Thanksgiving. Ramble like the person on the other line will never hang up on you.

Then say: “Before you start solving this, ask me questions about anything you don’t understand. Don’t make guesses.” Let Codex interview you so its suggestions actually fit your situation.

2. Give it a goal with a clear finish line

When you know what you want done, open the plus menu and choose Goal. Describe the result and how Codex should check its work. You can also just say, “Hey here’s your goal” in natural language.

For example: “Revise this client onboarding to under 500 words. Keep the instructions someone needs to follow, preserve every link, and check the final word count.”

For something more subjective, like improving a job description, define what “improve” means: which responsibilities need clarifying, who you want to attract, and what they need to know before applying.

3. Schedule something you keep asking for

Pick something you check or do repeatedly: art ideas for your kids, new methods to treat walnut allergies, analysis of real estate performance in Detroit versus Madison, making updates to the shared team folders, rebalancing your calendar, whatever. Tell Codex what to look for or do and when you want it.

Try: “My goal is to build deeper client relationships. One way of doing that is more in-person meetings. Maybe you have other ideas. Every Monday for the month ahead, I want you to craft what a more in-person schedule could look like - analyze commutes, use Google Maps on my computer, create mini client road shows if they work near each other, draft all outreach emails for meetings, and when confirmed, make all the lunch reservations, and put all visitor requirements in my calendar invites.” Connect your CRM, email, and calendar, then check the schedule it sets up.

4. Give several agents different parts of a job

For a bigger project, ask Codex to use multiple agents. You can assign their jobs or ask Codex to decide how to divide the work and bring their findings together.

You could try: “Have one agent research these products, another read customer reviews, and bring their findings back into a comparison with sources.” Or “after your done, spin up one agent for accuracy, one for feasibility, one for value, one as my inner critic, one as my biggest fan, and one as my target market and review this plan and reduce risk by up to 50%.” Then answer any questions so it has the context to execute on your goal.

5. Use live voice mode to create a teammate

And last but certainly not least, my favorite feature: live voice mode. It’s like having a teammate sitting next to you who can actually do things as you yap to it.

Click the waveform button and try: “In that Chrome window, open this website and help me grab…” Approve any safe requested access, then talk through what you want as Codex navigates.

I literally played a New York City quiz with my Codex while I caught up on Slack. Both at the same time. Two different windows. You can ask questions, interrupt, and pivot.

If you want dive further into how I get the most out of these tools every day, come join my AI Agent Mastermind. It’s the absolute last cohort of the year, and we only have a few seats left.

Every previous cohort has sold out, so don’t wait on it.

Bring the work you wish someone could take off your plate, or the idea you’ve wanted to build for years. Over four weeks, we’ll help you turn those into agents, projects, and systems you’ll keep using long after the program ends.

You’ll have live sessions with me, my team’s setup help and office hours, a private group session with OpenAI’s Dominik Kundel, and a community sharing what they’re building throughout.

Our last cohort of 2026 runs October 20–November 12, with sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 1pm ET. Everything is recorded, with LIFETIME access to all the recordings and content. Enrollment closes Monday, October 19 at 3pm ET.

If you want to get the most out of AI, join the room.

To your unfair advantage,

Allie

P.S. Bring your team along. Additional seats are $997 each.