Questions

Do I need to know how to code?

No. In the first two minutes you paste three short lines into Terminal, and each comes with a plain-English note. After that, Claude, the AI assistant, does the technical work in Claude Code. You copy and paste sentences from the lessons, answer questions about your household, and click Allow when you’re happy with what Claude is about to do. If you can send an email and install an app, you can do this course.

Is it really free?

The course is free, and so are the download and your first brief. Running your butler fully isn’t: from Module 1 you’ll need a paid Claude plan, then a small monthly budget for your butler’s AI with a limit you set, and optionally Lunch Money. See every cost.

Who can see my family’s information?

• You, on your Mac.
• Anthropic, the company behind Claude: the parts of your day your butler asks Claude to write about, such as calendar titles, project steps and money totals. Never passwords, ID numbers or bank details.
• Google, because your butler’s emails go through its Gmail account.
• Lunch Money, if you use it, because it connects to your banks.
• Not us. Build Your Butler never receives your household data.

What does the download do?

It installs Butler in a folder called Butler in your home folder, for you only, without asking for your Mac’s password. Then it opens Terminal and your butler says hello. It asks for your email, sends you a magic link, and shows you its first brief. Nothing else on your Mac changes. See Module 0.

Why do you need my email?

To give you an account without a password: a magic link signs you in. Your account remembers your butler’s name and which lessons you’ve done, so the course can pick up where you left off. We keep nothing from your household. See the privacy policy.

What if I get stuck?

First, ask Claude: “Something went wrong. What happened, in plain words?” It can see your Mac and usually knows. Second, type /butler-doctor in Claude Code for a full health check. Third, use the Something didn’t work for me button at the end of the lesson. We read every one.

Can I break my Mac?

Very unlikely. Butler lives in its own folder, and Claude asks before every change. Your butler sends no email until Module 5, and only when you say yes. If a module goes wrong, you can delete the Butler folder and start that module again.

Do I need Lunch Money?

Only for the money features. Skip Module 7 and your butler leaves money out of the brief.

I use Windows. Can I do the course?

Not yet. Butler runs on a Mac. Join the Windows waitlist and we’ll email you once when it’s ready.

Does the Mac have to stay on?

It needs to be awake at the time of the morning brief, and to check replies through the day. Your butler wakes the Mac a minute before the brief. A Mac that’s plugged in works best. A laptop on battery with its lid closed may sleep through the alarm.

We have Android phones. Does that work?

Yes. Everyone reads and replies by email, on any phone. The portal works in any phone browser. Only the Siri shortcut in Module 6 needs an iPhone.

Can my partner and older children use it?

Every adult you add gets the emails and can reply with requests. Children can be part of the brief (their events, their activities) without having email at all.

Is this made by Anthropic, or Apple?

No. Build Your Butler is an independent course. We use Claude, made by Anthropic, because it’s very good at this work. We’re not affiliated with or endorsed by Anthropic, Apple, Google, Lunch Money or Tailscale.

Can I use ChatGPT or another AI instead?

Not in this course. Butler and its setup guides are built for Claude. The ideas you learn apply to every AI tool.

What is the Butler software?

An open-source program anyone can read, at github.com/nerolabs/butler. Open source means the code is public, so anyone can check what it does with your data. It’s released under the MIT licence.

How do I stop or remove my butler?

Ask Claude, in your Butler folder: “Please uninstall Butler: stop the schedule, remove the wake-up time and delete Butler’s Keychain entries.” Then delete the Butler folder. You can also delete your butler’s Gmail account and its API key in the Claude Console.

Will updates break my butler?

Updates replace the program and never touch your settings, budget, projects or notes. After updating, run /butler-doctor to check. Module 10 covers updates.