> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://ade-ac1c6011-dependabot-github-actions-actions-checkout-7.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Set up the CTO

> Pick a personality and work style, optionally choose a model and connect Linear, and start with a planning prompt.

The CTO is usable in minutes. First-run setup is one card — you pick a **personality** and a **work style** and it's ready to chat. A capable model and Linear layer in afterward, only when you need them.

## First run

The first time you open the CTO tab, a single setup card asks for a personality preset and a work style. A name is optional. Everything else is deferred to Settings.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Pick a personality">
    Choose a preset — strategic, professional, hands-on, casual, minimal, or custom. Custom lets you write your own overlay. This sets the CTO's tone; its core doctrine is fixed by ADE and not editable.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set a work style">
    Choose how much detail you want, how proactive the CTO should be, and how readily it escalates decisions to you. These are three quick toggles on the same card.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Name it (optional)">
    Give the CTO a name, or leave it as "CTO".
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose a model (optional)">
    In CTO Settings, set the provider, model, and reasoning effort. The CTO reasons across the whole project, so favor a capable model over a fast one. Until you pick one, the CTO uses the project's default model.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Connect Linear (optional)">
    Connect it when you want the CTO to browse and update issues from the thread. See [Linear](/integrations/linear).
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  Setup finishes without a model choice or Linear — those connect later. The CTO is meant to be a daily chat surface first.
</Note>

## Personality presets

The preset shapes the CTO's communication style. The underlying operator doctrine and capability set are owned by ADE and stay fixed across presets — you're choosing tone, not rewriting the agent.

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Strategic" icon="chess">
    Big-picture framing and trade-offs.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Executive" icon="briefcase">
    Calm, structured, leadership-oriented.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Hands-on" icon="wrench">
    Pragmatic and execution-focused.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Collaborative" icon="handshake">
    Warm, conversational, easy to work with.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Concise" icon="bolt">
    Low-noise, direct replies.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Custom" icon="sparkles">
    Write your own personality overlay.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

<Tip>
  You can re-run setup any time from **CTO → Settings → Re-run setup**, and edit the persona, work style, and model from Settings without resetting anything.
</Tip>

## First useful prompts

Lead with planning and summarization — that's where the CTO earns its keep.

```text theme={null}
Summarize the current project state and identify the highest-risk open work.
```

```text theme={null}
Plan how to split this feature into reviewable lanes before anyone starts coding.
```

```text theme={null}
Read Linear issue ENG-142 and recommend the first lane to create.
```

<Tip>
  Ask the CTO to remember decisions as you make them — it keeps durable memory across sessions and model switches, so you don't have to restate context next time.
</Tip>

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="CTO overview" icon="crown" href="/cto/overview">
    What the CTO is and when to reach for it.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Linear" icon="layers" href="/integrations/linear">
    Connect Linear so the CTO can browse and update issues.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>