The-Focus-AI Set Up a New Project
Take an empty directory to a project that runs with mise dev. Scaffolding,
configuration, and tooling only — do not write application source code.
Where the standards live
The normative rules are in the standards repository, The-Focus-AI/standards:
STD-004 (tooling and tasks), STD-007 (secrets), and STD-011 (skills). The
walkthroughs are best-practices/GDE-006-local-environment.md (mise + fnox + pi),
best-practices/GDE-003-fnox-secrets.md (the full secrets reference),
best-practices/GDE-008-skills.md (the locked skill set), and
best-practices/GDE-007-pi-extensions.md. If you are running inside that repo, read them directly. If not, and you
have gh access, fetch them. If neither, the sequence below is the minimum bar — say
in your summary that you worked without the full standards.
There is a bootstrap script for the mechanical parts:
./scripts/setup-default-project.sh ../my-project.
Setup order (follow exactly, in this sequence)
1. Create directory and git
mkdir <project-name> + cd <project-name> + git init
2. Install tools via mise (never edit mise.toml by hand)
mise use node@22mise use npm:pnpmmise use fnoxmise use "npm:@earendil-works/pi-coding-agent"- Add any other runtimes the project needs now (ripgrep, fd, gh).
3. Configure pi
Write .pi/settings.json with npmCommand: ["mise", "exec", "node", "--", "npm"] and
sessionDir: ".pi/sessions".
4. Install pi extensions
Always -l for project-local. The required set is in best-practices/GDE-007-pi-extensions.md.
5. Write mise.toml tasks
Required [tasks]: install (pnpm install --frozen-lockfile), dev, lint, test,
deploy, setup (pulls the service-account token from 1Password into .fnox/env),
secrets:check (fnox check), secrets:list (fnox list).
Add [env] with _.file = ".fnox/env".
6. Trust mise config
mise trust — skip this and the project is unusable for the next person.
7. Initialize the package manager
Write package.json, run pnpm install, then pnpm approve-builds <pkgs> for anything
needing build scripts (electron, esbuild).
8. Configure secrets (fnox + 1Password)
Write fnox.toml declaring the provider and secrets, against a 1Password vault named
for the project. Declare the API keys the project will need. Never write actual secret
values — only the mappings to 1Password items.
9. Install skills
Copy the locked skills-lock.json from the standards repo's default-project template, then mise install
(which runs skills experimental_install). To add one later:
skills add <owner>/<repo> --skill <folder> -y. Do not run skills add mattpocock/skills -y
bare — it pulls course and writing extras that are not part of the standard set.
10. Write AGENTS.md
Adapt from the standards AGENTS.md. Keep the mise-only tooling constraint, the required
tasks, fnox for secrets, the skill set, and TypeScript + pnpm. Add the project's stack.
11. Write .gitignore
node_modules/, out/, dist/, dist-installer/, .agents, agent/skills/,
.fnox/, *.env, *.env.local, .pi/sessions/, .pi/npm/, .pi/git/, .pi/skills/,
.DS_Store, *.log
12. Write project configs
tsconfig.json — strict, ES2022, bundler resolution, path aliases. Then any
framework-specific config (electron-vite, next.config).
13. Verify
-
mise ls --currentshows all tools -
mise tasksshows install/dev/lint/test/deploy -
.pi/settings.jsonlists both extensions inpackages -
.agents/skills/has the locked skills -
AGENTS.mdexists and is adapted for this project -
fnox.tomldeclares provider and secrets, with no values -
.gitignorecovers generated and secret paths -
pnpm ls --depth 0shows the dependencies installed
Run the checklist. A scaffold reported as done without it is usually missing mise trust
or the skills install.
What NOT to do
- No application source code — no main process, renderer, components, or routes.
- No global installs — not
npm install -g,pip install,brew install, ornpx -y ... init. - Never hand-edit mise.toml to add a tool — always
mise use, so the pin is real. - Never hardcode a secret. Declare it in
fnox.toml; the value lives in 1Password. - Never skip
mise trust.