Hi Reader,

The book has a new name.

Pattern-First Productivity is now Restart Time.

Why? Because that's the metric that matters most—how long it takes you to get back on track after life knocks you off.

Not "how productive were you at peak performance." Not "how many hours did you work this week."

How fast can you restart?

That's the design spec. That's what we're optimizing for.

Mini Insight

AI will get better, faster, more persuasive.

That doesn't make this book obsolete—it raises the stakes.

Because the real failure mode of the AI era isn't "I can't figure out what to do."

It's "I did what it said… and lost myself in the process."

The doctrine is simple:

AI is an accelerant, not an authority.

Use it to move faster inside your constraints—not to delete your constraints.

​
​

The Draft Is Done

After months of writing, the manuscript is complete and entering the editing phase.

16 chapters. 10 appendices. ~260 pages.

The last appendix? AI-Assisted Pattern-First Productivity (Without Losing Agency).

It lays out the rules:

AI Is Allowed To:

• summarize and reflect back what you said
• draft options you can accept, edit, or ignore
• translate your constraints into a workable plan
• compress open loops into clean next actions

AI Is Not Allowed To:

• decide your priorities
• expand your commitments
• shame you or diagnose you
• push optimization that costs your relationships, health, or integrity
• override your constraints ("just wake up earlier" is not a strategy)

Default rule: Before adding anything, remove something.

One Prompt Pattern You Can Use Forever

Start every AI interaction with limits, not ambitions:

Constraint-First Planning

• Time available
• Energy level (0–10)
• Current load
• Non-negotiables (sleep, family, health, promises)

Then ask for three versions:

• Survival (3–10 minutes) — what to do first
• Standard (20–60 minutes) — if capacity exists
• Stretch — only if the day stays intact

This pattern works in any AI tool, any year, any interface.

Because it protects what matters: your worst day is the design spec.

Want an Advance Reader Copy?

The book launches in a few months.

If you want early access—and a chance to shape the final version with your feedback—reply "ARC" and I'll add you to the list.

You'll get:

• the full draft before launch
• a short feedback form (optional, helpful)
• your name in the acknowledgments if you choose

First invites will likely go out mid-January.

Excelsior,
​
​ Pierre/
​ Founder, Curio Chat Academy

P.S.: The GPT tools for the book are almost ready. Reply "beta" and I'll send the link.