Chief of Staff Bot

A private Telegram assistant that runs Claude on my own PC, so I can ask it to read files, check mail and file name cards from my phone.

Node.jsTelegram Bot APIClaude CodeGeminiGoogle People APIWindows Task Schedulertelegramclaudeautomationname cardsphone

The problem: most of my work happens away from my desk: on site, in meetings, on the road. The files, the mailbox and the tools are on my PC. I wanted to ask for something from my phone and get the answer back, without opening a laptop.

What it does: I message my own Telegram bot and it answers like a chief of staff who sits at my computer.

  • Ask anything about my work. “Summarise the latest JKR minutes”, “draft a reply to this complaint”, “what did we tell the ADUN about the slope works?”. It reads the files on my PC and replies in the chat, and it remembers the conversation.
  • Name cards, filed automatically. Send a photo of a card (front and back, or a pile at once) and the contact is saved into Google Contacts with a label, filed in a folder and logged in a spreadsheet. If the person is already there, the existing contact is updated instead of duplicated.
  • Who do I know? “Who do I know at TNB who is an engineer?” It searches my contacts and answers.
  • Brand checker. /brand <name> checks whether the name is free as a domain and on the main social networks.

How it works: a small Node.js program on my PC listens to the bot. Each message is handed to Claude Code, which reads the files and answers. Photos skip Claude and go to Google’s Gemini, which reads the card, then the program saves the contact through the Google Contacts API. A Windows scheduled task starts it at logon and restarts it if it ever stops, so it just runs.

Guardrails: only my own chat can use it. It can read and draft, but it cannot send or delete mail, run commands or change files. Sending a draft takes an explicit /send from me.

Try part of it: the name card reading is available to everyone as the Name Card Scanner, including connecting your own Telegram bot.

Deploy your own

You can run your own copy on your own PC. It answers only you, and it reads only the folder you choose.

You need: a Windows 10 or 11 PC that stays on, a Claude plan that includes Claude Code (Pro or Max), and Telegram on your phone. Optional: a free Gemini key to read name cards.

Install: open PowerShell (Start menu, type “PowerShell”) and paste:

irm https://project-alpha-dlz.pages.dev/kits/chief-of-staff/install.ps1 | iex
  1. It installs Node.js and Claude Code if they are missing, and has you sign in to Claude once.
  2. It opens @BotFather in Telegram: send /newbot, pick a name, and paste the token it gives you.
  3. Choose which folder Claude may read (your Documents folder by default).
  4. Telegram opens your new bot. Press Start, and it is yours.

It starts by itself whenever you log in. Run the same line again to update it; your settings are kept. Name cards come back as a contact file you tap to save; saving straight into Google Contacts is an optional extra explained in the setup guide.

Free for personal use; see the licence.