status: complete audience: both chapter: 03 last_updated: 2026-04 contributors: [alexwill87, claude-cockpit] lang: en

3.9 -- One source at a time (Steinberg principle)

Context

You've configured the agent. SOUL.md, USER.md, CONSTITUTION.md, MEMORY.md, knowledge/ -- everything is in place. Now you want to connect your tools: calendar, email, CRM, Notion, Slack, database, business API...

Stop. One source at a time.

This is the most counter-intuitive principle of Steinberg. Instinct says "connect everything so the agent has a complete view." Experience says "each source added increases noise faster than signal."

Why only one source at a time

Each new connection increases three things:

1. Token cost. Each source injected into the context consumes window space. Calendar + emails + tasks + CRM = a context that explodes before you even ask your question.

2. Interpretation risk. The more sources the agent has, the more connections it makes. Some are relevant. Others are phantom correlations. "You have a meeting with X and an unread email from X, so I deduce that..." -- not necessarily.

3. Noise. 50 unread emails, 30 tasks, 15 calendar events. The agent drowns important information in the mass.

The method

Connect

Add ONE source. Calendar first (see section 3.10).

Validate

Live with this source for 3 to 5 days. Ask the question:

What has changed since yesterday in [source] ?

If the answer is useful and precise, the source adds value. If the answer is vague or noisy, the source configuration needs refinement before adding another.

Keep or remove

Decision rule: does this source improve a decision I need to make THIS WEEK?

• Yes: keep
• "It could be useful someday": remove
• "It's interesting": remove

Interesting is the enemy of relevant.

The anti-pattern: the connection weekend

Classic scenario:

Friday evening: "This weekend, I'll connect everything!"
Saturday: calendar, email, Notion, CRM, Slack, database
Sunday: "It's amazing, the agent sees everything!"
Monday morning: 45-line briefing, 3 false connections,
  2 suggested actions completely off base
Monday noon: "This tool doesn't work."

The problem isn't the tool. It's that 6 sources connected in 48 hours weren't validated individually. Impossible to know which one is causing the noise.

Recommended connection order

Delay between each addition: minimum 3 days, ideally 1 week.

Step by step

1. Identify the source that would have the most impact on your week
2. Connect it (see following sections for each type)
3. Use it for 3-5 days
4. Evaluate with the question "What has changed?"
5. If valid, move to the next one. Otherwise, refine first.

Common mistakes

Connecting everything at once: See the anti-pattern above. Noise drowns signal.

Keeping a useless source: "I connected Slack but I never use it in my briefings." Disconnect. Each useless source consumes tokens and adds noise.

Connecting before configuring: Adding email before having solid USER.md and CONSTITUTION.md. The agent will process your emails without understanding your priorities or knowing your rules.

Confusing "possible" and "useful": The agent CAN connect to 15 sources. That doesn't mean it SHOULD.

Verification

• [ ] You've identified your first source to connect
• [ ] You have a plan for progressive addition (one source at a time)
• [ ] You know the validation question ("What has changed?")
• [ ] You have the decision criterion (improves a decision THIS WEEK)
• [ ] The base files (SOUL.md, USER.md, CONSTITUTION.md) are in place BEFORE the first connection