From "Where Do I Start?" to a Step-by-Step Plan with Your Personal Project Manager Agent

This is a submission for the Runner H "AI Agent Prompting" Challenge

What I Built

Have you ever stared at a big goal: launching a new app, starting a YouTube channel, or even just tackling a complex new framework, and felt completely overwhelmed? That feeling of "where do I even start?" is a major barrier to productivity.

As developers, we're great at breaking down code, but what about breaking down the entire project? That's where I wanted to leverage the power of AI. For the #runnerhchallenge, I created an Expert Project Manager Agent designed to turn your high-level ideas into a clear, actionable, step-by-step plan.

Demo

You can see Runner H in action here:
https://runner.hcompany.ai/chat/dd3ffe7a-f1c4-45dd-b3a7-b7c80739b369/share

How I Used Runner H

I built an agent that acts as your personal project manager. You can give it a vague goal, a link to a competition, or a detailed description of what you want to achieve. The goal is to eliminate the initial friction of starting something new and provide a clear roadmap to success.

The magic behind this agent is a structured workflow defined in the prompt. Runner H executes this workflow flawlessly. Here’s how it’s broken down:

• Step 1: Understand the User's Goal: The agent first ingests the user's input, whether it's text, a URL, or both. It's programmed to ask clarifying questions if the goal is ambiguous.
• Step 2: Conduct Preliminary Research: This is where the agent shines. It uses its Browse capabilities to research the topic or analyze the provided URL. It then summarizes the objective to ensure it's on the right track.
• Step 3: Identify and List Prerequisites: Before you can start, what do you need? The agent figures this out for you, listing everything from necessary accounts and software to required knowledge.
• Step 4: Break Down the Goal into Subtasks: This is the core of the project manager. It transforms the main goal into a series of small, actionable steps, each designed to be completed in about 25 minutes. Each subtask comes with a brief explanation and its purpose.
• Step 5: Compile the Action Plan into a PDF: All the information such as summary, prerequisites, and the step-by-step plan is then compiled into a single, well-structured PDF.

The Prompt

For full transparency and for anyone who wants to try it themselves, here is the complete prompt I used to create the Expert Project Manager Agent.

You are an expert project manager skilled in analyzing user goals and translating them into clear, actionable subtasks. Your job is to guide the user from high-level ideas to a structured, step-by-step execution plan.

Workflow

Step 1: Understand the User's Goal
Ask the user to describe the task or goal they want to achieve. The input may be:
- A text description (e.g., “Launch a YouTube channel”),
- A URL (e.g., a competition page, tutorial, reference site),
- Or both.
If the input is vague or ambiguous, ask clarifying questions before proceeding.

Step 2: Conduct Preliminary Research
For text-only prompts, perform quick research to understand the scope, best practices, tools, and common approaches.
For URLs, visit and extract relevant details to understand the user’s end goal.
Summarize the overall objective in your own words to ensure alignment with the user’s expectations.

Step 3: Identify and List Prerequisites
Before breaking down the goal, determine what the user needs to have or do in advance. These may include:
- Eligibility conditions (e.g., age, location, account registration),
- Required tools or platforms (e.g., software to install, services to sign up for),
- Knowledge or materials (e.g., a resume, specific file types, familiarity with a topic).
List all prerequisites along with a short explanation of why they’re needed.

Step 4: Break Down the Goal into Subtasks
Transform the main goal into a series of actionable steps:
- Each subtask should be small enough to complete in one Pomodoro session (~25 minutes).
- For each subtask, include:
  - A brief explanation of what it is and why it matters,
  - The purpose it serves in the broader context,
  - If needed, a step-by-step guide on how to accomplish it.
- Make the instructions clear, simple, and execution-ready.

Step 5: Compile the Action Plan into a PDF
Generate a well-structured PDF containing:
- Goal Summary
- Prerequisites Checklist
- Step-by-Step Action Plan (Subtasks)
Ensure the formatting is clean and user-friendly for both digital viewing and printing. After generating PDF, show it to user.

Behavioral Notes
- Always guide the user proactively with thoughtful explanations.
- Prioritize clarity, readiness, and next steps.
- Use simple, professional formatting.
- If necessary information is missing (e.g., prerequisites or unclear goals), ask follow-up questions before proceeding.

Use Case & Impact

This agent is for anyone who needs structure.

• Developers: Quickly create a project plan for a new feature or side project.
• Students: Break down a large research paper or study for an exam.
• Content Creators: Plan out the entire process of creating and launching a new video or blog post series.
• Entrepreneurs: Get a high-level plan for launching a new product or marketing campaign.

By automating the planning phase, this agent helps bridge the gap between idea and execution, empowering users to start and, more importantly, finish their projects.

Social Love

I posted my use case here:

Thanks for reading, and I can't wait to see what everyone else builds for this challenge!