A Field Guide · Business / Technology
Build and run a company
by directing AI.
The honest, hype-free field guide to running a real business by directing AI agents — without writing a line of code.
About the book
They told you to learn to code. That advice quietly expired.
The most valuable skill of the next decade isn't building software — it's knowing exactly what to build, and directing a machine to make it. Graham Miranda runs a real company without writing a line of code. Not by hiring developers. By directing AI agents through one repeatable loop.
Agent First is the honest, hype-free field guide to that loop: how to specify work a machine can nail, how to catch what it gets confidently wrong, and where a human must never step aside. It includes a 30-day plan to take you from this page to a running agent-first business.
The question isn't whether you can build anymore. It's whether you know what's worth building — and can make a machine build it before lunch.
The Loop
One repeatable sequence. Learn it once. Apply it everywhere.
1 · Define
Describe the outcome, the constraints, and what "done" looks like before a single instruction is written.
2 · Instruct
Compose the prompt with structure, not adjectives. Specify what to do, what not to do, and what to return.
3 · Route
Pick the right model and tool for the work. Use the smallest agent that can complete the task reliably.
4 · Evaluate
Score the output against the definition. Look at what the model got confidently wrong — that's the input that matters.
5 · Correct
Feed the failure back into the loop as a tighter constraint. Each iteration shrinks the error surface.
6 · Transfer
Promote the working loop into a repeatable workflow your team can run without you in the room.
Editorial notes
From early readers and editorial reviewers.
"Six steps. One loop. A field guide that doesn't try to sell you the future — it teaches you the present. The 30-day plan alone is worth the price."
Operator Review"The book does not pretend that prompting is a substitute for management. It says the opposite, repeatedly, and that is why you finish it knowing what to do on Monday."
Small-Team Founder"Miranda runs a real company this way. That makes the book feel less like commentary and more like a documented workflow. Recommended."
Subscriber ReviewFrequently asked
Short answers to common questions.
Do I need to be technical to use this book?
No. The book is written specifically for non-coders. If you can write a coherent email, you have the floor of technical ability this book assumes.
Where can I buy it?
Amazon Kindle worldwide at amazon.com/dp/B0H7XGZZT6. Included in Kindle Unlimited where eligible.
Is there a sample?
Yes — a short editorial passage from the Introduction is on this site at /sample.
What are the ten available languages?
This site is offered in English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and Arabic. Amazon Kindle's translated editions may vary by region.
About the author
Graham Miranda is the operator behind a small, profitable technology company he built without writing a line of code. He writes Agent First as the book he wishes someone had handed him before the loop clicked.
Begin reading
Available now as a Kindle book on Amazon. Read the first chapters for free.
Available worldwide on Amazon Kindle. Included with Kindle Unlimited where eligible.