Why I’m Building With OpenClaw

I’m setting up an AI-first workflow on an Intel NUC, and OpenClaw is the control plane. It gives me one assistant that can operate across WhatsApp, terminal, browser automation, and local tools — without turning my machine into chaos.

What OpenClaw Actually Does

• Runs persistent AI agents with tools (shell, browser, messaging, files, search).
• Lets me talk to the same assistant from multiple surfaces (terminal + WhatsApp).
• Keeps operational context in a workspace so progress can continue over time.
• Supports safe automation patterns with approvals and scoped integrations.

My Current Stack

• Host: Intel NUC (Ubuntu)
• Comms: WhatsApp gateway + terminal
• Secrets: 1Password CLI/app integration
• Remote access: Cloudflare Tunnel + SSH
• Coding delegation: Cursor Agent (cheap-model-first policy)

Why This Setup Matters

Most AI workflows break when you move from “demo” to “daily use.” OpenClaw makes it practical: I can message a task from my phone, continue in the terminal, then hand off coding to Cursor when needed. This is the first setup I’ve used that feels like an actual operating environment, not just a chatbot tab.

What’s Next

• Ship a full blog stack behind davidv.ai.
• Lock in secret rotation + hardening pass.
• Add more reliable browser automation for end-to-end web tasks.

Majestic Giraffe Gallery (Generated by Xavier)

10 fresh majestic giraffe renders generated today.

Published from my NUC using OpenClaw workflow automation.