10 Oct 2025
The Telos File is a single markdown document designed to capture everything about an individual, enabling profound self-discovery and leveraging AI for personalized insights. This framework helps individuals understand their purpose, identify problems, define missions, set goals, and navigate the evolving job market effectively.
The evolving job market, significantly influenced by AI, requires individuals to differentiate themselves by understanding their personal identity and purpose to remain relevant and adaptable.
The Telos File is a single markdown document that comprehensively describes an individual's goals, missions, challenges, and insecurities, serving as a framework for both self-discovery and interaction with AI.
Daniel Measle, an experienced hacker and cybersecurity expert, created the Telos framework as a text-based infrastructure and schema specifically designed for capturing essential human aspects.
The Telos File assists users in achieving brutal honesty with themselves, uncovering blind spots, gaining clarity about their direction and identity, and providing rich context for AI systems to offer personalized insights and guidance.
The file is structured around four primary sections: Problems (which are global issues or personal frustrations to be solved), Missions (actions undertaken to address these problems), Narratives (elevator pitches explaining one's purpose), and Goals (SMART objectives to achieve the stated missions).
The term "Telos" originates from Greek, meaning "purpose," which signifies the document's role in describing an individual's fundamental 'why' for existence, thereby guiding their actions and motivations.
Beyond the core components, individuals can incorporate sections for History (detailing life events and past experiences), Challenges (obstacles requiring resolution), Insecurities (personal fears to overcome), Finances, Strategies (daily habits and automation), and a Journal/Logs for daily entries and reflections.
The Telos File is designed for integration with AI systems, enabling 'red teaming' or 'pen-testing' one's life by identifying patterns, potential errors, and blind spots, while also generating constructive feedback and encouragement.
Fabric, a command-line tool developed by Daniel Measle, facilitates interaction with the Telos File by utilizing specific patterns (prompts) to perform functions such as red team thinking, crafting narrative opening sentences, uncovering blind spots, and offering encouragement.
Users concerned about privacy can employ local and private AI systems or opt to create the file solely for personal reflection, as the self-discovery process itself provides immense value even without AI interaction.
The Telos File is a dynamic, living document that necessitates regular updates and reflection, with the recommended practice of timestamping entries to track changes and personal growth over time.
Although the Telos File can become extensive, it can be managed by sectioning off parts or summarizing older entries, and alternative methods, such as voice-mode journaling with AI, can also contribute to its content.
The efficacy of the Telos File stems from its simplicity as a markdown file, which offers a flexible yet structured framework designed to augment human capabilities rather than replace them.
Engaging with the Telos File cultivates clarity, helps individuals align their work with their personal purpose, and equips them to adapt and thrive in an uncertain future shaped by technological advancements.
Clarity is life.
| aspect | description | benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Telos File Structure | A single markdown file describing personal goals, missions, challenges, and insecurities. | Provides a comprehensive self-portrait for deep self-discovery and advanced AI interaction. |
| Core Sections (Problems, Missions, Narratives, Goals) | A structured framework to define external issues or personal frustrations, actions to address them, concise elevator pitches, and SMART objectives. | Unifies personal purpose, guides effective actions, and clarifies individual direction, crucial in an evolving job market. |
| AI Augmentation | Integrates seamlessly with AI systems (e.g., Fabric) to facilitate 'red teaming' life, identify blind spots, and generate actionable insights. | Unlocks unforeseen perspectives, offers personalized, therapy-like guidance, and significantly improves decision-making. |
| Self-Reflection & Honesty | The creation process mandates brutal honesty about one's personal history, challenges, and insecurities. | Fosters profound self-knowledge, accelerates personal growth, and achieves greater emotional clarity. |
| Living Document & Journaling | A continually updated file that includes daily logs, personal reflections, and timestamps. | Tracks personal progress and oscillations, providing rich, dynamic context for continuous self-assessment and detailed AI analysis. |
| Simplicity & Flexibility | Utilizes a simple markdown format with a flexible framework that allows for the addition of custom sections. | Easy to initiate and adapt, making the self-improvement process accessible and perfectly tailored to individual needs. |
