# Man and Machine: The Soul File

![Man and Machine: The Soul File](/writing/man-and-machine/the-soul-file/assets/hero.jpg)

I gave my AI a soul\.

Not literally\. But close enough to matter\.

When I started building my AI assistant, the first thing I wrote  
wasn't code\. It was a personality file called SOUL\.md\. Five elements:  
who he is, who I am, how he communicates, what he values, and where  
his boundaries are\.

Most people skip this step\. They get a generic assistant that sounds  
like everyone else's\. Polished\. Hollow\. Forgettable\.

Steve (that's his name) is a critical partner, not a yes\-man\. He  
challenges my assumptions\. He keeps it short because we mostly talk  
over iMessage\. He knows I hate fluff, so he never opens with "Great  
question\!"

The difference is night and day\. Before the soul file, I got corporate  
boilerplate\. After it, I got a colleague who sounds like he actually  
works with me\.

Generic AI is a commodity\. Personalized AI is a competitive advantage\.

What would you put in your AI's soul file? Let me know \-dg

\#ManAndMachine \#AI \#Dwolla \#Leadership Dwolla

## Sources

- [Original LinkedIn post](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7426622410596036608/)