The Hands-on AI Playbook
Hi, I’m James
Section titled “Hi, I’m James”I teach AI strategy at UC Berkeley Haas Executive Education, including the largest AI program in its portfolio. Before that I spent nearly a decade at Microsoft, and I’ve served as a Chief Product Officer and Chief Information Officer across global enterprises and startups.
I built this playbook because the best way to accelerate innovation is to make complex things simple — and then share them freely. Everything here comes from real work: building AI systems, teaching live cohorts, and learning alongside a global community of builders.
It’s free, it’s open, and it gets updated constantly. I hope you find something here that saves you time, sparks an idea, or helps you move faster.
More about me and the story behind this playbook →
What’s New
Section titled “What’s New”Playbook updates, plus notable releases from Anthropic, OpenAI, and the other AI platforms I follow.
New: Markdown Basics
A new Markdown Basics page for non-technical readers, plus the builder setup rebuild and the Markdown-first AI Registry.
Renamed: AI Workflow Framework
The Business-First AI Framework is now the AI Workflow Framework. Same seven steps, same skills, same /handsonai:* commands — just a clearer name that says what it actually is.
One Plugin to Install: Hands-on AI Marketplace Consolidation
Four plugins are now one. The handsonai plugin bundles the Business-First AI Framework, AI Registry, and Agentic Coding skills into a single install. Example agents move to a new gallery.
Keep in touch
Section titled “Keep in touch”I write Graymatter — Master AI. Master Yourself. Build What Matters.
It’s a weekly newsletter for builders drowning in AI noise: practical guidance on putting AI to work in your workflow and business, alongside the personal leadership that makes it stick. Paid subscribers get hands-on tutorials, videos, and playbooks. Subscribe →
You can also find me on LinkedIn or at jamesgray.ai.