One user's month running Hermes Agent as a file-based 'Twin AI'
A user shares how they ran for about a month as a persistent 'Twin AI' instead of using Excel trackers, naming it 'Art'. Rather than a simple question-answering chatbot, it operates on the user's behalf within set boundaries.
The setup centers on a file called SOUL.md, which defines the agent's identity, core objectives (stay alive, then safe, then happy, in that strict order), memory triggers, boundaries, and communication style. All memory persists between sessions as plain markdown (.md) files that the agent reads and writes — no database involved.
The file system includes SOUL.md as the brain, a profile file with identity and contact info, one file per life area (health, finance, ideas, habits, sessions, language, feelings, enthusiasm), a .md defining delegated roles, and a SECRETS.md that only the twin agent can read and that is never exposed elsewhere. Switching input from Excel to is described as the biggest practical improvement.
Key points
- Replaced Excel trackers with plain markdown (.md) files as memory — no database needed
- SOUL.md defines the agent's identity, objectives, boundaries, and tone
- Separate files per life area: health, finance, habits, sessions, and more
- .md delegates roles; SECRETS.md isolates sensitive data from other files
- replaced manual Excel entry as the biggest practical upgrade