# The Build Playbook > Prototype in Perplexity. Architect with one window. Build with the other. Two AI sessions, one operator. *OP2 · Module M7 — How I Run My Day · The CEO AI Playbook by Stephen Forte* Canonical: https://academy.buildclub.com/m7/op2-build ## Thesis Prototype in Perplexity. Architect with one. Build with the other. ## Key Takeaways - Prototype in Perplexity. Architect with one. Build with the other. - 2 hours — from idea to working prototype, end to end, including deployment. - 2 windows — of AI running at once: one architect, one builder, communicating through me. - 135 — production agents, scheduled jobs, and deployed apps I run as a single operator on this stack — each independently scoped, each with its own vault. - Open two AI sessions today. Use one as the architect and one as the builder. Notice the speed difference. ## The Playbook 1. **Perplexity Computer — prototype** — Test the thesis in 30 minutes. If the prototype doesn't argue for itself, kill it before it scopes. 2. **Replit — deploy (prototype only)** — Move the prototype to a real URL on day one. Deployment is one click; clients see it live. Never point Replit's agent at a production database — the July 2025 SaaStr incident is the cautionary. 3. **Local — own** — When the thing matters, pull it down. Run it on the laptop. Commit to GitHub. The cost curve crosses around production seriousness. 4. **Anthropic Managed Agents — run** — When the agent has to run by itself, on a schedule, in a sandbox, with vault access — move to the managed runtime. 1. **Everything in a git repo** — Including throwaways. A repo costs nothing; an unrecoverable file costs an afternoon. 2. **Branch per attempt** — I name branches by the experiment, not the feature. Failed branches stay; they are the receipt. 3. **Secrets via Infisical, never in code** — Even a five-minute prototype gets a real secret manager. The habit is the safety net. 4. **Audit logs to S3** — Every agent run writes a log line to S3. When something breaks at 3am, the log is already there. ## Key Numbers - **2 hours** — from idea to working prototype, end to end, including deployment. (BuildClub internal benchmark) - **2 windows** — of AI running at once: one architect, one builder, communicating through me. (Two-window pattern) - **135** — production agents, scheduled jobs, and deployed apps I run as a single operator on this stack — each independently scoped, each with its own vault. (BuildClub ops) ## What to Do Monday - Open two AI sessions today. Use one as the architect and one as the builder. Notice the speed difference. - Run one prototype in Perplexity Computer this week, end to end. Time-box it to 2 hours. - Pick one internal process. Move it from a doc to a scheduled GitHub Action by Friday. - Audit your secrets handling. If a single agent has access to everything, fix it before the end of the month. - Stop treating IDEs as the unit of build. The unit is the stack. ## FAQ **What is the core idea of The Build Playbook?** Prototype in Perplexity. Architect with one. Build with the other. **What does the data say a CEO should pay attention to?** 2 hours from idea to working prototype, end to end, including deployment. 2 windows of AI running at once: one architect, one builder, communicating through me. **What should a CEO do Monday morning after reading The Build Playbook?** Start here: Open two AI sessions today. Use one as the architect and one as the builder. Notice the speed difference; Run one prototype in Perplexity Computer this week, end to end. Time-box it to 2 hours; Pick one internal process. Move it from a doc to a scheduled GitHub Action by Friday. **What are the steps in The Build Playbook?** 1) Perplexity Computer — prototype; 2) Replit — deploy (prototype only); 3) Local — own; 4) Anthropic Managed Agents — run; 1) Everything in a git repo. **Where do the claims in The Build Playbook come from?** The playbook cites BuildClub internal automation portfolio; Fortune — Replit AI agent deletes SaaStr database (July 2025); BuildClub two-window pattern; Model Context Protocol (Anthropic). ## Sources - BuildClub internal automation portfolio - [Fortune — Replit AI agent deletes SaaStr database (July 2025)](https://fortune.com/2025/07/23/ai-coding-tool-replit-wiped-database-called-it-a-catastrophic-failure/) - BuildClub two-window pattern - [Model Context Protocol (Anthropic)](https://modelcontextprotocol.io) - [Perplexity Comet](https://comet.perplexity.ai) - [Anthropic computer use](https://www.anthropic.com/news/3-5-models-and-computer-use) - BuildClub operator practice notes - BuildClub 2026 operating metrics - BuildClub Operator Stack documentation --- Work with BuildClub: https://buildclub.com/amplify