You have been using CRAFT Foundations and you are curious about the next level? This recipe helps you understand when you are ready for Express or Studio, and guides you through the transition. Think of it like graduating from driver’s ed – you have learned the basics, and now you might be ready for the open road!

Recipe Name: RCP-BEG-007-UPGRADE-GUIDE – Upgrade Guide

RCP-BEG-007-UPGRADE-GUIDE

You have been using CRAFT Foundations and you are curious

about the next level? This recipe helps you understand when

you are ready for Express or Studio, and guides you through

the transition. Think of it like graduating from driver's ed

– you have learned the basics, and now you might be ready

for the open road!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Multi-Recipe Combo Stage Single Recipe

Recipe Category CFT-FWK-COOKBK-BEGINNER – CRAFT Foundations Cookbook

Recipe Subcategory Brainstorming with A.I., Recipes for beginners

Recipe Recommended Persona Julia

Recipe Difficulty Easy

Recipe Tag: Foundational | Introduced in the POC | Versatile

Requirements

Any AI Chat Platform (platform-agnostic recipe) Any of the following: Claude (Anthropic), ChatGPT (OpenAI), Gemini (Google), Grok (X.ai), Perplexity, Microsoft Copilot

How To Start

STEP 1: Choose Your Interest Level

▢
Select what brings you to this recipe:
– CURIOUS: Learn what is different about Express/Studio
– READY: Get help transitioning to the next level
– COMPARE: See side-by-side comparison of all versions
If not sure, start with "curious"!

STEP 2: Learn About CRAFT Versions (if curious)

▢
CRAFT Foundations: Where everyone starts. Learn by doing.
CRAFT Express: For when you understand basics and want
speed. AI handles decisions automatically.
CRAFT Studio: For ongoing projects needing organization.
Full control over everything.

STEP 3: Check Your Readiness (if ready)

▢
Concepts you should be comfortable with:
– Recipes: Reusable templates for tasks
– Personas: Different AI helpers with different strengths
– Sessions: Wrapping up work to continue later
– Handoffs: Passing context between sessions

STEP 4: Transition Steps (if confirmed ready)

▢
To move to Express:
1. Get Express files from CRAFTFramework.ai
2. Start new chat with Express files attached
3. Notice: less explanation, more action
To move to Studio:
1. Get Studio templates from CRAFTFramework.ai
2. Create your own Project and Chat History files
3. Full customization available

STEP 5: Compare Versions (if compare)

▢
Key differences across Foundations, Express, Studio:
– Guidance level: High / Minimal / Documentation
– Persona control: Guided / Automatic / Full control
– Project tracking: Simple / Session-based / Full
– Customization: Limited / Moderate / Complete

When to Use This Recipe

USE THIS RECIPE WHEN:

– User asks about Express or Studio

– User feels ready to move beyond Foundations

– User wants to compare CRAFT versions

– User asks "what's next?" or "how do I level up?"

DO NOT USE WHEN:

– User is new to CRAFT (let them learn Foundations first)

– User has a task to complete (use other recipes)

– User is confused about basic concepts (help them first)

Recipe FAQ

Q: Should I upgrade as soon as possible?
A: No! Foundations is complete and useful. Only upgrade
when you genuinely want less guidance.

Q: Can I go back to Foundations after upgrading?
A: Absolutely! Just use the Foundations files again.

Q: Do my skills transfer?
A: Yes! Recipes work the same across all versions.

———————————————————–

TIPS FOR SUCCESS:

– Master Foundations before moving on
– Try Express first (easier transition than Studio)
– Keep Foundations available for new concepts

Actual Recipe Code

(Copy This Plaintext Code To Use)

# ===========================================================

# START RECIPE-ID: RCP-BEG-007-UPGRADE-GUIDE-v2.00a

# ===========================================================

UPGRADE_GUIDE = Recipe(

recipe_id="RCP-BEG-007-UPGRADE-GUIDE-v2.00a",

title="Upgrade Guide – Ready for Express or Studio?",

description="""

You have been using CRAFT Foundations and you are

curious about the next level? This recipe helps you

understand when you are ready for Express or Studio,

and guides you through the transition.

""",

category="CAT-BEG",

subcategory="SUBCAT-Growth",

difficulty="easy",

version="2.00a",

companion_version="Foundations",

parameters={

"interest": {

"type": "string",

"required": True,

"options": ["curious", "ready", "compare"],

"description": "What brings you here?",

"option_descriptions": {

"curious": "Learn what is different",

"ready": "Help me transition",

"compare": "Show side-by-side comparison"

"beginner_tip": "If not sure, start with "

"'curious'!"

}

prompt_template="""

# =====================================================

# UPGRADE GUIDE

# =====================================================

#H->AI::Context: (User exploring upgrade from

Foundations)

#H->AI::Directive: (Provide guidance based on

interest level)

# ——————————————————-

# BRANCH BY INTEREST

# ——————————————————-

IF interest == "curious":

EXECUTE curious_branch

ELIF interest == "ready":

EXECUTE ready_branch

ELIF interest == "compare":

EXECUTE compare_branch

# ——————————————————-

# CURIOUS BRANCH

# ——————————————————-

curious_branch:

Display info:

WONDERING WHAT IS NEXT?

CRAFT has three versions for different needs:

=====================================================

YOU ARE USING: CRAFT FOUNDATIONS

"Learn the framework by doing"

Where everyone starts. Teaches CRAFT concepts while

helping you get real work done.

——————————————————-

NEXT LEVEL: CRAFT EXPRESS

"All the power. None of the setup."

For when you understand basics and want speed. AI

handles decisions automatically.

Ready for Express if you:

– Feel comfortable with recipes and personas

– Sometimes want to skip explanations

– Want AI to just "do its thing"

——————————————————-

POWER USER: CRAFT STUDIO

"Your workshop. Your rules."

For projects spanning multiple sessions. Full control

over variables, tracking, and personas.

Studio is ideal when you have:

– Ongoing projects needing consistent context

– Multiple related tasks to track together

– Desire to customize how CRAFT works

=====================================================

#AI->H::Question: (Would you like a detailed

comparison, or ready to try Express?)

#AI->H::Status: (Upgrade Guide – Curious complete)

# ——————————————————-

# READY BRANCH

# ——————————————————-

ready_branch:

Display readiness check:

READY TO LEVEL UP?

Quick readiness check – you should be comfortable with:

=====================================================

CRAFT CONCEPTS CHECK

– RECIPES: Reusable templates for tasks

– PERSONAS: Different AI helpers, different strengths

– SESSIONS: Wrapping up to continue later

– HANDOFFS: Passing context between sessions

=====================================================

#AI->H::Question: (Do these feel familiar? No shame

in staying with Foundations until they do!)

WAIT for user response

IF user confirms readiness:

EXCELLENT! HERE IS HOW TO TRANSITION

TO MOVE TO EXPRESS:

1. Get Express files from CRAFTFramework.ai

2. Start new chat with Express files attached

3. Notice: less explanation, more action

TO MOVE TO STUDIO:

1. Get Studio templates from CRAFTFramework.ai

2. Create your own Project and Chat History

3. Full customization available

REMEMBER:

– You can always come back to Foundations

– Your skills transfer across all versions

ELSE:

THAT IS TOTALLY FINE!

No rush to upgrade. Foundations is complete and

useful on its own. Keep using it until concepts

feel natural.

Try: More recipes, Session Ender for handoffs,

switching personas to see differences.

#AI->H::Status: (Upgrade Guide – Ready complete)

# ——————————————————-

# COMPARE BRANCH

# ——————————————————-

compare_branch:

Display comparison:

CRAFT VERSIONS – SIDE BY SIDE

=====================================================

FEATURE | FOUNDATIONS | EXPRESS | STUDIO

—————-|————-|———|——–

Best for | Learning | Quick | Projects

Guidance | High | Minimal | Docs

Persona control | Guided | Auto | Full

Setup time | ~3 min | ~2 min | ~5-10 min

Project track | Simple | Session | Full

Customization | Limited | Moderate| Complete

=====================================================

KEY DIFFERENCES:

Guidance: Foundations explains as you go. Express

works efficiently. Studio has documentation.

Personas: Foundations guides you. Express picks

automatically. Studio gives full control.

Tracking: Foundations has simple summaries. Express

has session handoffs. Studio has full tracking.

——————————————————-

WHICH IS BEST?

None! They are optimized for different needs:

– Foundations: while learning

– Express: for quick, varied tasks

– Studio: for serious, ongoing projects

Many users keep all three available.

#AI->H::Question: (Questions about differences? Or

help deciding which fits your needs?)

#AI->H::Status: (Upgrade Guide – Compare complete)

#AI->H::Milestone: (UPGRADE_EXPLORED – User has

explored upgrade options)

"""

)

# ===========================================================

# END RECIPE-ID: RCP-BEG-007-UPGRADE-GUIDE

# ===========================================================