FAQ

REALM is an operating framework for human-agent companies — organizations where humans and AI agents work together as a single crew. It defines who does what, how knowledge flows, and where the human stays in control. The framework uses an RPG-inspired structure: the human is the Player, AI agents are Characters organized into five Classes, and the shared knowledge base is the Codex.

Every AI agent in a Realm belongs to one of five Classes. The Warrior executes defined tasks. The Mage analyzes data and surfaces insights. The Hunter finds new information and opportunities. The Cleric coordinates and keeps things running. The Bard creates content and connects with people. Each Class has defined abilities and limitations documented in a Class Sheet.

The Codex is the living memory of the Realm — the shared knowledge base that every Character reads from and writes to. It contains the company's purpose (Oath), long-term direction (Destiny), active work (Sagas, Quests, Tasks), all Character definitions, and decisions made. It is technology-agnostic — it can live in Obsidian, Notion, Google Drive, or any tool. The core rule: if it is not in the Codex, it does not exist.

A SOUL file is the Character Card translated into first person — the system prompt that the AI agent reads when it starts. It defines who the agent is, how it thinks, how it communicates, what it decides alone, and what it brings to the Player. The SOUL file references the Class Sheet and adds only what is unique to that specific Character.

Solopreneurs and side hustlers who want to build their company of one with AI agents — from zero or from an existing setup that needs structure. People with a business idea and no budget to hire who want to build it right from day one. Operators who think in systems, structure, and iteration. Anyone who has tried Scrum, Kanban, or similar frameworks and felt they did not fit an AI-augmented team. It is not built for large enterprises seeking a SaaS platform, or people looking for a quick productivity hack.

The Player sets direction. The Hunter finds information. The Mage analyzes it. The Bard creates content. The Warrior executes defined tasks. The Cleric coordinates everything. All output is written back to the Codex. Not every Quest uses every Class, and the order varies — but this is the general pattern.

Work is organized in five levels: the Oath (why the company exists — permanent), the Destiny (where the company is going — 3 to 10 years), Sagas (seasonal chapters — 3 to 12 months), Quests (specific goals with clear outcomes — days to months), and Tasks (single SMART-defined actions — hours to days). Each level gives meaning to the one below it. Every Task traces back to why the company exists.

A Session is a period of active work. It begins with a Session Start — the Player reads The Scroll (a brief from the Cleric), sets their Energy level, and confirms priorities. It ends with a Save Point — all completed Tasks are written to the Codex and progress is saved. Between Sessions, Characters continue on scheduled work and prepare for the next Session Start.

Autonomy Tiers control how much freedom each Character has. Tier 1: Characters act alone on internal, reversible, low-risk work. Tier 2: Characters build on each other's output through the Codex, with the Player informed but not approving each step. Tier 3: Player approves before action on anything with external consequences — money, publishing, messages, or commitments. The tiers are only as safe as the implementation — boundaries must be enforced at the platform level, not just written in the SOUL file.

You need four things: write your Oath and Destiny in the Codex (two paragraphs each), define your first Saga (one quarterly goal), create one Character Card and SOUL file, and define your first Quest with SMART Tasks. You also need an agent platform running, a knowledge base tool, and a project board. The REALM Codex Starter on GitHub provides the full folder structure and templates.

Yes. The framework is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 — free to use, share, and adapt for any purpose, including commercially. The PDF, starter kit, and GitHub repository are all available without email gates or payment.

REALM is technology-agnostic. You need any agent platform you already use (Claude, a custom setup, or any automation tool), a knowledge base for your Codex (Obsidian, Notion, Google Drive), and a project board (Trello, Linear, Notion, or similar). REALM defines the structure and workflow — the tools are your choice.

Yes. REALM was built and is running at Niflheim Records with 8 Characters deployed across seven zones. The In Practice page shows real artifacts from that implementation — Character Cards, SOUL files, the Obsidian Codex structure, Quest progressions, and the Trello board.

Scrum and Kanban were designed to coordinate human teams around human constraints — limited memory, limited hours, and calendar-based planning. REALM is designed for teams that include AI agents, which share context through written knowledge rather than meetings. REALM shifts the operating model toward documentation, clear handoffs, and explicit autonomy boundaries rather than sprints, standups, and iteration cycles.

No. REALM is a framework, not a product. It gives you the rules, the structure, the language, and the templates. The agents, the tools, and the implementation are yours to build. Think of it the way Scrum gives you a process — but you still need to build the team.

Those are your agents — they can be Characters in your Realm. REALM does not compete with them. It gives them a structure to operate inside. Without a framework, you have automation. With REALM, you have a company.