The Brains

Use a brain in 30 seconds

Every brain is a public MCP URL: https://mcp.brains.ceo/<slug>/mcp. To get every brain behind one connector, use https://mcp.brains.ceo/mcp (tools: list_brains, search_brains, list_sources).

# Claude Code
claude mcp add --transport http levels-brain https://mcp.brains.ceo/pieter-levels/mcp
# then run /mcp and choose Authenticate

# Codex
codex mcp add levels-brain --url https://mcp.brains.ceo/pieter-levels/mcp
codex mcp login levels-brain

In Cursor, Claude.ai / Claude Desktop and ChatGPT, add it as a custom MCP server or connector with the same URL. Each brain page on brains.ceo has one-click buttons and step-by-step instructions for each client.

The first time you connect, your client opens a short sign-in: enter your email and the 6-digit code we send you. It's free, and there are no passwords.

Then just ask: "How would Levels price this?" or "What would Paul Graham say about my idea?"

Tools

The brains

Missing someone? Request a brain. The most-requested ones get built first.

How it works

A brain is a small, curated, cited knowledge base, not an archive of everything someone ever said. Each one holds 15–45 long-form sources and a few hundred hand-picked posts, all filtered to the person's principles on growth, distribution, pricing and building a business.

discover ──▶ curate ──▶ fetch ──▶ cards ──▶ notes ──▶ index ──▶ manifest ──▶ MCP + site
 (cheap       (Claude     (only the  (one per   (sectioned,  (BM25)    (brain.json)
 metadata)    picks)      shortlist) source)    third person)

Steps 2, 4, 5 and 7 run on headless Claude Code (claude -p), so they use a Claude subscription instead of API credits. The first 10 brains cost about $3.50 in total in scraping fees.

Architecture

• server/ is one Express app (TypeScript, run with tsx) that serves:
  • the website (web/)
  • every brain as a stateless Streamable HTTP MCP endpoint at /<slug>/mcp
  • OAuth 2.1 with dynamic client registration, where sign-in is email plus a 6-digit code (server/oauth.ts)
  • usage tracking and a password-protected /admin with an email CSV export
• web/ is a no-build vanilla HTML/CSS/JS site: a search-first directory, brain pages with cited principles and sources, and per-client install instructions.
• pipeline/ has the scripts above. They're idempotent: re-running a step skips finished work.
• data/brains/<slug>/ holds each brain's curated, derived content: brain.json, index.json, cards/, notes/ and shortlist.json.
• External brains are ones people already run themselves, like Nevo David's mcp.nevo.md. They're listed with node pipeline/external.mjs <slug> from pipeline/external/<slug>.json, and installs go straight to their URL.

Run it yourself

git clone https://github.com/VicPitic/the-brains.git
cd the-brains
npm install
npm start            # http://localhost:8790

That's enough to browse and use all the brains locally. Without DATABASE_URL, the MCP endpoints are open and nothing is tracked. Add one locally:

claude mcp add --transport http levels-brain http://localhost:8790/pieter-levels/mcp

To build new brains or turn on sign-in and tracking, copy .env.example to .env.local and fill in what you need. Deployment is a single service plus Postgres; we use Railway.

Content and takedowns

• Brains are unofficial. They're built only from public talks, interviews, essays and posts, and they're not affiliated with or endorsed by the people they're about unless marked "claimed".
• Every passage cites its original source. The repo contains only our derived summaries and short quotes. Raw transcripts and scraped articles are never committed.
• Are you one of these people? Email [email protected] to claim your brain, correct it, add sources, or have it removed.

Contributing

Brain requests, new brains, fixes and design improvements are all welcome. Start with CONTRIBUTING.md.

If The Brains is useful to you, give it a star. It helps more people find it.

License

The code is MIT. Brain content belongs to its original authors; see Content and takedowns.