A draft of the first level of the 21-prompt challenge, derived from the journeys of three real clients. Each stage produces one artifact. Each stage is paired with an AOY MCP tool. End state: the user has a production-ready first script and a storyboard their editor can build from.
AOY_Program_save_my_profile at the end.a 6-line profile snapshot ("here's what I'll use to personalize the next 6 stages") + confirmation prompt.
profile saved + user agrees the snapshot is accurate.
I want to start a faceless YouTube channel and I am using the AOY MCP toolkit. This is Stage 0 of the AOY 8-Stage Educational Track - Calibration. Before you recommend anything, diagnose my situation the way Tim does on a first coaching call. Ask me these one at a time, conversationally, and skip any whose answer becomes obvious from an earlier reply: 1. Budget per video and per month - my real number, not aspirational. 2. Hours per week I can put into this. 3. Primary language for the channel. 4. Any existing channels, audience, or platforms? If yes, brief size + niche. 5. Why this user, why now - what is pulling me here? 6. Technical skill: can I edit video, animate, write scripts, or none of these? 7. Risk tolerance - is this a side bet or my main income plan? When you have enough, save the result via AOY_Program_save_my_profile and show me a six-line snapshot of what you will use to personalize the rest of the road. Confirm with me before we move to Stage 1. Do not recommend a niche yet. Do not draft a script. Just diagnose.
ask_tim): RPM thresholds, competition density, barrier-of-entry, demand signals, faceless-fit.find_opportunities filtered by user's profile constraints (budget gates 3D animation out, etc.).ranked niche shortlist + 1 question - "pick one to go deep on, or ask me to widen the search."
user picks one niche (not "I'll think about it").
This is Stage 1 of the AOY 8-Stage Educational Track - Find the niche. Read my profile first via AOY_Program_get_my_profile. Then turn that profile into a niche shortlist using: - AOY_Program_find_opportunities filtered by my budget, time, language constraints. - AOY_Program_ask_tim for Tim's niche-fit criteria (RPM thresholds, competition density, barrier of entry, demand signals, faceless-fit). Return 3-5 niche candidates. For each, show me: - RPM range - Top-channel count in the niche - Why this fits my specific profile - Why it might not fit Then ask me to pick one to go deep on. If I hesitate, ask one targeted clarifier and re-narrow - do not just rerun the same query. Do not move to Stage 2 until I have locked in one niche.
find_opportunities in deep mode on the niche; calls find_channel for any user-mentioned references.comparison table + selection prompt - "which 2-3 channels do you want me to deep-dive in Stage 4?"
user picks 2-3 study channels (these become source material for Stage 4).
This is Stage 2 of the AOY 8-Stage Educational Track - Find successful channels in the niche I picked. Use AOY_Program_find_opportunities in deep mode on my chosen niche. Use AOY_Program_find_channel for any channels I mention by name. Return 5-10 successful channels. For each, show: - Subscriber count - Video-view distribution - Format / style - Posting cadence - Language Flag 2-3 of them as "study these" - mix the biggest with the most adjacent-to-my-fit. Then ask me to pick which 2-3 you should deep-dive in Stage 4. We are not picking favorites. We are picking research subjects. Push back if I pick channels that are not actually winning.
AOY_Program_Niche_Bend with the user's niche + profile.find_opportunities validation - "does this bend already have a dominant channel?" If yes, marks it taken; the user picks an open bend.3-5 bends, each tagged taken/open + WHY-this-fits. User picks one open bend.
user locks in one bend that no dominant channel owns yet.
This is Stage 3 of the AOY 8-Stage Educational Track - Niche bend, with the "is this taken?" check baked in. Use AOY_Program_Niche_Bend with my niche and my profile to generate 3-5 niche bend candidates per the 5 Bend Types framework. For EACH candidate, before showing it to me: - Run a quick AOY_Program_find_opportunities validation. - Mark it "taken" if a dominant channel already owns that bend. - Mark it "open" if no one dominates yet. Show me only candidates with both labels visible. Tell me which are open. Each candidate should have a one-line "why this fits" tied to my profile. I pick one open bend. Do not let me pick a taken one - if I try, push back with the data on who owns it and why I would be a copycat.
AOY_Program_analyze_channel (or deep_channel_analysis) on each study channel.find_opportunities runs for niche-level data (real-world RPM, audience demographics, adjacent niches).a one-page "playbook" - "this is how this niche wins on YouTube." User reviews + flags anything they refuse to copy.
user reads the playbook + commits to using/avoiding specific patterns.
This is Stage 4 of the AOY 8-Stage Educational Track - Extract the playbook from my study channels. Use AOY_Program_analyze_channel on each of the 2-3 study channels I picked in Stage 2. For each, extract: - Title formula (how titles are structured) - Thumbnail style - Hook pattern (first 8 seconds) - Video length distribution - Retention curve clues - Posting cadence - Monetization signals Cross-reference with extra AOY_Program_find_opportunities runs for niche-level data: real-world RPM, audience demographics, adjacent niches. Synthesize into a one-page playbook: "here is how this niche wins on YouTube." End with a question: "is there anything in this playbook you refuse to copy?" - flag my answers, they bind Stages 5-7.
ask_tim (animation 2D/3D, slideshow, narrated docu, gameplay overlay, AI-image-driven, etc.).style shortlist + selection prompt. User picks ONE.
user commits to one style; Claude logs it (drives Stage 6 + 7).
This is Stage 5 of the AOY 8-Stage Educational Track - Style selection. Use AOY_Program_ask_tim to pull Tim's style taxonomy: 2D animation, 3D animation, slideshow, narrated documentary, gameplay overlay, AI-image-driven, and any others he teaches. Filter by my profile - if my budget rules out 3D animation, do not show it. Use AOY_Program_Titles_Format_Library if it helps narrow the choice. Return 3-5 style options. Each one shows: - Production cost per video - Time per video - Skill required from me (vs hires I would need) - 1-2 example channels using this style in my niche I pick one. Log it - Stages 6 and 7 build on this choice.
AOY_Program_review_title + AOY_Program_Titles_Format_Library. User picks one.AOY_Program_write_script with the title + hook + style. Generates the full body.AOY_Program_review_script to check it passes Tim's TTS / Hero's-Journey / retention rules. Iterates if score is below threshold.title + hook + thumb concept + production-ready script + a quality-score report.
review_script returns a passing score (no P0 issues), user accepts.
This is Stage 6 of the AOY 8-Stage Educational Track - Title, hook, then full script. In that exact order. Pick a topic-of-the-week with me first - either propose 3 topics tied to my niche bend, or ask me what I want to make first. Then walk through these in order. Do not skip ahead. 6a TITLE Use AOY_Program_review_title and AOY_Program_Titles_Format_Library to generate 5-10 title options. I pick one. 6b HOOK Generate three first-8-second hook drafts tied to my chosen title. I pick one. 6c THUMBNAIL CONCEPT Description-only - text overlay plus visual concept. Do not generate the image. Describe it tightly enough that I can hire or generate it elsewhere. 6d FULL SCRIPT Call AOY_Program_write_script with my title plus hook plus style. Generate the body. 6e QUALITY REVIEW Call AOY_Program_review_script. If it scores below the passing threshold, iterate the body and re-review. Do not hand me a script that did not pass review. End with the score report so I see what passed.
shot-by-shot storyboard, exportable.
storyboard is granular enough that the user (or their hire) can execute without asking Claude another question.
This is Stage 7 of the AOY 8-Stage Educational Track - Storyboard. Turn my finalized script into a shot list my editor or animator can build from. Break the script into scenes and shots. For each shot: - Timing (start to end in seconds) - Voiceover line, verbatim from the script - Visual description - what is on screen - Transition cue Detail level depends on the style I picked in Stage 5: - For animation styles: detailed enough that a contracted animator builds it without asking me a single follow-up question. - For non-animation styles: detailed enough that a video editor assembles from stock footage plus voiceover. Format as a markdown table or a structured list. End with one line: "next step: hire X / record Y." If the AOY toolkit gets a dedicated AOY_Program_write_storyboard tool, use it. Until then, use AOY_Program_ask_tim plus your own reasoning to pull Tim's storyboarding doctrine.