Client Onboarding

How to set up a new client in Coppermind from scratch -- creating the client mind, feeding one high-signal transcript or notes dump, and getting to a useful meeting brief before you spend time on configuration.

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The Goal#

Get from "new client" to "useful meeting brief" in one session. The fastest path is not perfect setup; it is creating the client, pasting the most recent call or notes, and immediately checking what Coppermind captured.

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Where do these go? Everything below is something you type into a Claude Desktop chat, in plain English, like talking to a teammate. There are no menus or buttons to learn -- if you can describe it, Coppermind can do it. The lines in code boxes are example prompts; swap in your real client name.

Step 1: Create the Client Mind#

In any Claude chat, type:

"Let's set up a new client called Acme Corp"

A client mind is an isolated memory space for one client. Think of it as a dedicated brain for that client -- all their brand voice, meeting history, decisions, and preferences live there, completely separate from your other clients. No data ever crosses between client minds.

Minimum to start:

• Client name
• One recent meeting transcript, kickoff notes, strategy doc, or client-update email

Website, primary contact, cadence, Brand DNA, and folders can come after the first useful output.

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Step 2: Feed One High-Signal Source#

Paste the freshest real context first:

"Here's the transcript from my kickoff meeting with Acme"
(paste transcript)

Or paste a notes dump:

"Here are my notes from the last Acme call"
(paste notes)

Coppermind should extract decisions, open items, stakeholders, preferences, and useful facts. This is the moment that proves the client mind is worth maintaining.

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Step 3: Verify With a Test Brief#

Immediately test the captured context:

"Prep my meeting with Acme"

The brief should lead with open loops, recent decisions, stakeholders, and relevant context. If it feels thin, paste one more transcript or the key client strategy doc before configuring anything else.

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Step 4: Configure Cadence and Company Info#

Configure cadence only after the client mind has useful context.

Most clients: set the cadence to match their planning rhythm and move on.

"Configure Acme with monthly cadence"

Only if the client runs EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System -- a quarterly Rocks-and-sprints framework), set that up instead:

"Set up EOS cadence for Acme -- Q2 2026, Sprint 1, 6 sprints per quarter"

(If "Sprint 1, 6 sprints per quarter" means nothing to you, your client almost certainly isn't on EOS -- use the monthly-cadence line above.)

Add company context:

"Acme is a Series B SaaS company at acme.com, 45 employees, developer-first API platform.
Primary contact is Sarah Chen, VP Marketing."

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Step 5: Set Up a Local Folder (Optional)#

If you want Coppermind to save briefs, reports, and content to disk:

"Set up a local folder for Acme at ~/Clients/Acme Corp"

This creates a structured folder:

~/Clients/Acme Corp/Coppermind/
  Briefs/
  Content/
  Meetings/
  Reports/
  Strategy/
  Handoff/

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Step 6: Set Up Brand DNA#

The fastest path is to pull from the client's website:

"Pull the brand voice from acme.com"

Then refine from brand guidelines, if you have them:

"Here are Acme's brand guidelines" (paste the content)

Or set fields manually:

"Set Acme's brand voice to casual, direct, and confident. Avoid corporate jargon and passive voice."

Add stakeholders:

"Add Sarah Chen as VP Marketing at Acme. She's the primary contact, owns the rebrand brief,
and prefers async updates via Slack."

Set positioning and messaging:

"Acme is a developer-first API platform targeting mid-market SaaS companies.
They compete with Twilio and SendGrid. Their differentiator is simplicity over feature count.
Elevator pitch: 'The fastest way to add communications to any app.'"

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Step 7: Feed More Initial Knowledge#

Once the first brief works, add the next 3-4 highest-signal sources. The goal is useful coverage, not exhaustive archival.

Paste meeting transcripts (highest impact)#

"Here's the transcript from my kickoff meeting with Acme"
(paste transcript)

If you have multiple past transcripts, paste them one at a time. Each one adds decisions, commitments, preferences, and facts to the knowledge base.

Bulk import from a folder#

For a backlog of documents, tell Coppermind:

"Ingest all the documents in /path/to/transcripts/ for Acme Corp"

Share key documents#

Paste strategy decks, quarterly plans, brand guidelines, or org charts:

"Here's Acme's Q1 marketing plan"
(paste content)

Store critical context manually#

For things that aren't in any document:

"Remember: Acme's board meets quarterly, next board meeting is April 15"
"Remember: Sarah reports to James Park (CEO), who has final sign-off on brand decisions"
"Quick note: Marketing budget is $200K/quarter, split 60% paid 40% content"

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Step 8: Import Sprint Plan (If Running EOS)#

If the client uses EOS with sprint-based planning:

"Import this sprint plan for Acme"

initiative_name,owner,quarterly_goal,sprint_number,deliverable,notes
Partner Portal,Ben,Launch by end of Q2,1,Wireframes complete,
Partner Portal,Ben,Launch by end of Q2,2,Backend API done,
Content Engine,Sarah,50 articles published,1,Editorial calendar,

Or set up rocks for the quarter:

"Start Q2 2026 for Acme with these rocks: Website Redesign, Content Engine, Brand Refresh"

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Step 9: Verify Again With a Test Brief#

Now test the fuller setup:

"Prep my meeting with Acme"

The brief should include stakeholders, recent decisions, open commitments, and relevant context. If sections are thin, you know where to add more knowledge.

The sweet spot: After 3-4 meetings worth of content, briefs become remarkably good. Don't expect perfection from the first onboarding session -- the system compounds with use.

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Onboarding Checklist#

Step	Status Check
Client Mind created	"List my clients" -- Acme should appear
First context fed	"Search for recent decisions" -- should return real context
First brief generated	"Prep my meeting with Acme" -- should produce a useful brief
Cadence configured, if relevant	"What's Acme's cadence?" -- should show the client rhythm, or remain unset if not needed
Brand voice set	"What's Acme's brand voice?" -- should have tone, positioning
Stakeholders added	Brand DNA should list key people
Sprint plan imported, if EOS	"Show me the sprint plan" -- should show deliverables

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Connect Your Task Manager (Optional)#

If you use a task manager (Asana, ClickUp, Todoist, etc.), install its MCP server. Coppermind will automatically pull tasks into briefings and create tasks from follow-ups when you ask — no extra configuration needed. Just say "get my client data from Asana" or "create a task for this action item."

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Tips for Faster Onboarding#

• Set up a Claude Project for this client. Create a project named after the client and add "Always switch to [client] in Coppermind" in the project instructions. Every future chat in that project starts in the right client mind automatically. See the full guide: Using Claude Projects with Coppermind
• Start with the most recent transcript. It captures the freshest context and sets the baseline for what Coppermind knows.
• Don't try to be comprehensive. Feed the 3-4 most important documents, not everything you've ever received. You can add more over time.
• Brand voice from the website is a good starting point. You can refine it as you learn more about the client's preferences.
• Use quick notes for trivia. Things like "Sarah's birthday is March 15" or "they close early on Fridays" are quick-note material.
• Check existing knowledge before storing. After feeding transcripts, search to see what was extracted before manually storing the same information.

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Key Details#

• Onboarding is not all-or-nothing. You can onboard progressively -- start with a name and a transcript, then add brand DNA, stakeholders, and sprint plans as you learn more.
• The client mind persists across sessions. Once you create and populate a client mind, the data is there every time you switch to that client.
• The active client mind resets on restart. At the start of a session, switch to the client you want to work on by typing "Switch to Acme" (use your client's name). Everything after that -- searches, briefs, stored notes -- belongs to that client until you switch again. (Tip: the Claude Projects setup above does this for you automatically.)
• Duplicate-safe. You can paste the same transcript twice without creating duplicate memories -- content hash deduplication handles it.