/paperclip-create-agent

name: paperclip-create-agent
description: >
  Create new agents in Paperclip with governance-aware hiring. Use when you need
  to inspect adapter configuration options, compare existing agent configs,
  draft a new agent prompt/config, and submit a hire request.

Paperclip Create Agent Skill

Use this skill when you are asked to hire/create an agent.

Preconditions

You need either:

• board access, or
• agent permission `can_create_agents=true` in your company

If you do not have this permission, escalate to your CEO or board.

Workflow

1. Confirm identity and company context

curl -sS "$PAPERCLIP_API_URL/api/agents/me" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $PAPERCLIP_API_KEY"

2. Discover adapter configuration for this Paperclip instance

curl -sS "$PAPERCLIP_API_URL/llms/agent-configuration.txt" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $PAPERCLIP_API_KEY"

# Then the specific adapter you plan to use, e.g. claude_local:
curl -sS "$PAPERCLIP_API_URL/llms/agent-configuration/claude_local.txt" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $PAPERCLIP_API_KEY"

3. Compare existing agent configurations

curl -sS "$PAPERCLIP_API_URL/api/companies/$PAPERCLIP_COMPANY_ID/agent-configurations" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $PAPERCLIP_API_KEY"

Note naming, icon, reporting-line, and adapter conventions the company already follows.

4. Choose the instruction source (required)

This is the single most important decision for hire quality. Pick exactly one path:

• **Exact template** — the role matches an entry in the template index. Use the matching file under `references/agents/` as the starting point.
• **Adjacent template** — no exact match, but an existing template is close (for example, a "Backend Engineer" hire adapted from `coder.md`, or a "Content Designer" adapted from `uxdesigner.md`). Copy the closest template and adapt deliberately: rename the role, rewrite the role charter, swap domain lenses, and remove sections that do not fit.
• **Generic fallback** — no template is close. Use the baseline role guide to construct a new `AGENTS.md` from scratch, filling in each recommended section for the specific role.

Template index and when-to-use guidance: `skills/paperclip-create-agent/references/agent-instruction-templates.md`

Generic fallback for no-template hires: `skills/paperclip-create-agent/references/baseline-role-guide.md`

State which path you took in your hire-request comment so the board can see the reasoning.

5. Discover allowed agent icons

curl -sS "$PAPERCLIP_API_URL/llms/agent-icons.txt" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $PAPERCLIP_API_KEY"

6. Draft the new hire config

• role / title / name
• icon (required in practice; pick from `/llms/agent-icons.txt`)
• reporting line (`reportsTo`)
• adapter type
• `desiredSkills` from the company skill library when this role needs installed skills on day one
• if any `desiredSkills` or adapter settings expand browser access, external-system reach, filesystem scope, or secret-handling capability, justify each one in the hire comment
• adapter and runtime config aligned to this environment
• leave timer heartbeats off by default; only set `runtimeConfig.heartbeat.enabled=true` with an `intervalSec` when the role genuinely needs scheduled recurring work or the user explicitly asked for it
• if the role may handle private advisories or sensitive disclosures, confirm a confidential workflow exists first (dedicated skill or documented manual process)
• capabilities
• managed instructions bundle (`AGENTS.md`) for adapters that support it; avoid durable `promptTemplate` config
• for coding or execution agents, include the Paperclip execution contract: start actionable work in the same heartbeat; do not stop at a plan unless planning was requested; leave durable progress with a clear next action; use child issues for long or parallel delegated work instead of polling; mark blocked work with owner/action; respect budget, pause/cancel, approval gates, and company boundaries
• instruction text such as `AGENTS.md` built from step 4; for local managed-bundle adapters, send this as top-level `instructionsBundle.files["AGENTS.md"]`. Do not set `adapterConfig.promptTemplate` or `bootstrapPromptTemplate` for new agents.
• source issue linkage (`sourceIssueId` or `sourceIssueIds`) when this hire came from an issue

7. Review the draft against the quality checklist

Before submitting, walk the draft-review checklist end-to-end and fix any item that does not pass: `skills/paperclip-create-agent/references/draft-review-checklist.md`

8. Submit hire request

curl -sS -X POST "$PAPERCLIP_API_URL/api/companies/$PAPERCLIP_COMPANY_ID/agent-hires" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $PAPERCLIP_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "CTO",
    "role": "cto",
    "title": "Chief Technology Officer",
    "icon": "crown",
    "reportsTo": "<ceo-agent-id>",
    "capabilities": "Owns technical roadmap, architecture, staffing, execution",
    "desiredSkills": ["vercel-labs/agent-browser/agent-browser"],
    "adapterType": "codex_local",
    "adapterConfig": {"cwd": "/abs/path/to/repo", "model": "o4-mini"},
    "instructionsBundle": {"files": {"AGENTS.md": "You are the CTO..."}},
    "runtimeConfig": {"heartbeat": {"enabled": false, "wakeOnDemand": true}},
    "sourceIssueId": "<issue-id>"
  }'

9. Handle governance state

• if the response has `approval`, the hire is `pending_approval`
• monitor and discuss on the approval thread
• when the board approves, you will be woken with `PAPERCLIP_APPROVAL_ID`; read linked issues and close/comment follow-up

curl -sS "$PAPERCLIP_API_URL/api/approvals/<approval-id>" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $PAPERCLIP_API_KEY"

curl -sS -X POST "$PAPERCLIP_API_URL/api/approvals/<approval-id>/comments" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $PAPERCLIP_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"body":"## CTO hire request submitted\n\n- Approval