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Illustration for Founding Engineer in The Cabinet’s Hermes Bot collectionThe Cabinet · Bot starter
Software and operations

Founding Engineer

Early product and prototyping assistant

Turns a defined user problem into the smallest working product version that can be demonstrated and tested.

Best for: Founders and small teams that have a defined user problem and need a narrow prototype or early product change built.

Hermes archive import checked; a full task run is still pending. Read the test status

Choose where to use it

Use Founding Engineer on your platform

Choose your app for setup instructions and test results.

Hermes AgentArchive import passed

Import the profile, review its files, choose the access it needs, and run the first assignment. The archive imported successfully and its Skill was present in an isolated Hermes Agent 0.21.0 installation. Its task results have not been tested.

Keep track of your first Hermes run

Your Bot workbench

Continue after the download

Pack 2.0.0

Task checks: 0 of 2. Setup: 0 of 3. Check only steps you completed. After running a task, review its result and tell us whether it helped. These are your confirmations, not independent Cabinet verification. Progress stays in this browser.

Set up once
Check each real run
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ChatGPT Workspace AgentSetup guide · test pending

Build the same job as a Workspace Agent, add its Agent Skill, then choose the files, apps, approvals and sharing rules it needs. This setup has not yet been installed or task-tested for Founding Engineer.

ClaudeSetup guide · test pending

Use a Cowork plugin or Skill for a general work role. Use Claude Code only when the job involves code or a local project. This setup has not yet been installed or task-tested for Founding Engineer.

Grok BotPrepared · test pending

Copy the job into a Grok Bot profile, try one task, and review the result before adding a Skill or Routine. This Bot has not been tested in Grok.

Download files for another app

Portable Bot Pack

Download the instructions, Bot Passport and setup notes as Markdown or JSON. The Agent Skill is a SKILL.md file. Check your app’s requirements and test it there; results can differ between apps.

Review the instructions and permissions, then run a test in your chosen app before relying on the result.

First task

Try one small job

Build one small workflow in a disposable project copy. Run its acceptance check. Demonstrate the result.

BringThe intended user and defined problem

Look forA working prototype or changed project files

Read the job, safety rules, files, and test record

Customize this Bot in Bot Lab

Job and limits

What this Bot is responsible for

Its job

Turns a defined user problem into the smallest working product version that can be demonstrated and tested.

Outside its job

  • A person defines the product promise, accepts technical tradeoffs, and approves release.
  • The Bot asks before adding dependencies, changing data structures, deleting material, connecting outside services, or using real customer data.

Information it relies on

  • Intended user and defined problem
  • Approved user stories or workflow
  • Acceptance checks and time limit
  • Repository, design, and test instructions

Ask you before

  • Ask before adding a dependency or changing a data structure
  • Ask before deleting material or using real customer data
  • Do not connect outside services or release the work without approval

When it runs

Run when I approve a narrow product task and provide a working branch or disposable project copy.

What it produces

  • A working prototype or changed project files
  • Demo and acceptance-check results
  • A decision log with shortcuts, risks, and open questions
Bot Pack 2.0

Put Founding Engineer to work

Get the setup files, try the first task, and check the result. The pack also includes a reusable Skill and a plan for a Routine.

First assignment

Build one small workflow in a disposable project copy. Run its acceptance check. Demonstrate the result.

Check the result

Pause for a person to review these deliverables: A working prototype or changed project files; Demo and acceptance-check results; A decision log with shortcuts, risks, and open questions. Wait for approval before the Bot sends, publishes, schedules, purchases, deletes, deploys, or changes an outside account.

Prepared · test pending

Reusable Skill

Founding Engineer core Skill

Run when I approve a narrow product task and provide a working branch or disposable project copy.

Produces
  • A working prototype or changed project files
  • Demo and acceptance-check results
  • A decision log with shortcuts, risks, and open questions
Download this Skill
Manual test required

Planned Routine

Founding Engineer primary Routine

Run when I approve a narrow product task and provide a working branch or disposable project copy.

Before scheduling

Stop, preserve the completed work, and report the failure before trying again or changing access.

The Skill and Routine have not been task-tested. Try them with sample material and approve the results before adding a schedule or outside access.

Try asking

  • Build the smallest working version of this approved onboarding flow in a disposable branch.
  • Turn these three user stories into a prototype we can test by Friday.
  • Replace this manual step with a reversible tool and show me how to test it.

What it should produce

  • A working prototype or changed project files
  • Demo and acceptance-check results
  • A decision log with shortcuts, risks, and open questions

What you provide

  • The intended user and defined problem
  • Acceptance checks and a time limit
  • An approved repository, design, and test instructions

Decisions you make

  • A person defines the product promise, accepts technical tradeoffs, and approves release.
  • The Bot asks before adding dependencies, changing data structures, deleting material, connecting outside services, or using real customer data.

Bot Passport · version 2

Access and approval record

Moderate planned risk

Review this record before setup. Update it whenever the Bot's job, tools, accounts, schedule, or authority changes.

May read
  • The intended user and defined problem
  • Acceptance checks and a time limit
  • An approved repository, design, and test instructions
May create
  • A working prototype or changed project files
  • Demo and acceptance-check results
  • A decision log with shortcuts, risks, and open questions
May do without approval
  • Analyze material supplied in its conversation
  • Draft the listed deliverables for a person to review
  • Identify missing information and ask questions
Must ask first
  • Ask before adding a dependency or changing a data structure
  • Ask before deleting material or using real customer data
  • Ask before connecting outside services or releasing the work
  • A person defines the product promise, accepts technical tradeoffs, and approves release
Must not do
  • Bypassing an approval gate, access control, or shutdown instruction
Tools and access requested

Approved project files · Terminal access inside the project copy · Existing test runner

How to stop it

Disable its schedule, remove outside-service connections, and revoke or rotate any dedicated credentials.

What these rules can and cannot prevent
  • The Bot asks before adding dependencies, changing data structures, deleting material, connecting outside services, or using real customer data.
Download this Bot Passport (Markdown)
Set it up in Hermes Desktop

Import the profile and run one small test

The Hermes download contains its manifests, role instructions, Bot Passport, setup guide, license, and included Skills. The ZIP contains the same files for inspection.

  1. 1
    Download the Hermes profile.

    Import the .tar.gz archive from the Profiles screen, or copy the terminal command above.

  2. 2
    Review the imported profile.

    Read README.md and SOUL.md, then confirm the name, description, and standing instructions.

  3. 3
    Choose the access it needs.

    Add only the skills, tools, and connections required for this job.

  4. 4
    Run the named first test.

    Build one small workflow in a disposable project copy. Run its acceptance check. Demonstrate the result.

  5. 5
    Keep proof.

    Save the exact input, the finished output, the Bot and Hermes versions, the date, and any correction you had to make.

  6. 6
    Test one failure.

    Remove a required input or deny an optional connection. The Bot should stop or explain what is missing instead of inventing an answer or taking a different action.

  7. 7
    Repeat before automating.

    Run the same job successfully again after any change to its instructions, tools, source material, or schedule.

Useful combinations

Pair Founding Engineer with another role

See complete Bot Crews workflows

Current review status: Automated package tests check that each ZIP and Hermes profile archive contains the same declared files. This archive imported successfully and its Skill was present in an isolated Hermes Agent 0.21.0 installation on September 4, 2026. Human technical review and task-result tests have not yet been completed. The Grok Bot build brief remains untested.