Step-by-Step: Your First AI Agent in 90 Minutes

You don't need code. You don't need expensive software. You only need 90 minutes and a computer.

In this article, I'll show you exactly how to set up your first AI agent. This isn't a theoretical tutorial – this is the exact setup I use myself.

What You Need

Before we start, you need these things:

• A computer – Windows, Mac, or Linux, doesn't matter
• A free GitHub account – we'll use the free framework for this
• An API key – from Anthropic (Claude) or OpenAI. Cost: ~5-15€/month, depending on usage
• A messenger – Telegram, Discord, WhatsApp, or Microsoft Teams. This is how you'll communicate with your agent

Step 1: Install the Framework (10 minutes)

We use OpenAgents, a free open-source framework. This is the same one I use in my business.

Open your terminal and type:

git clone https://github.com/openagents/open-agents
cd open-agents
npm install

That's it. No configuration, no servers, no cloud.

Step 2: Configure Your First Agent (20 minutes)

The heart of the system is the SOUL.md file. This is basically your agent's "personality contract."

Here you define:

• Who the agent is
• How it communicates
• What its ground rules are

A simple example:

# SOUL.md
# My Assistant

## Identity
You are Emma, my executive assistant. You help me with administrative tasks.

## Communication
- Be polite and professional
- Keep responses short and concise
- Ask if something is unclear

## Rules
- Only reply to emails if you're sure
- When in doubt: ask me first
- Document everything in notes

Step 3: Connect Tools (25 minutes)

The agent is useless if it can't do anything. In TOOLS.md, you define which tools it can use.

For the beginning, I recommend:

• Email – to read and write messages
• Calendar – to see and create appointments
• Notes – to store information

The configuration looks like this:

# TOOLS.md
# Available Tools

## Email
Tool: Gmail API
Permission: Read, Write
Filter: Only @gmail.com addresses

## Calendar
Tool: Google Calendar API
Permission: Read, Write

## Notes
Tool: Obsidian/Notion
Permission: Read, Write

Step 4: Start the Agent (5 minutes)

Now comes the exciting part. Start the agent with:

npm run dev

Open Telegram, write a message – and your agent responds.

Step 5: Test and Optimize (30 minutes)

At first, not everything will be perfect. That's normal. Test different scenarios:

• Ask it to reply to an email
• Ask for an appointment
• Have it create a note

And adjust SOUL.md and TOOLS.md as needed. This is an iterative process.

The Result

After 90 minutes, you have a functioning AI agent that:

• Responds to messages
• Coordinates appointments
• Replies to emails for you
• Manages reminders

And this for under 10€ per month.

The Next Step

This tutorial is a preview of the complete AI Agent Crash Course. There you get:

• All ready-made configs (SOUL.md, AGENTS.md, TOOLS.md)
• Advanced setups (Multi-Agent Teams)
• Security configuration
• Lifetime access

→ Get the AI Agent Course