Getting started

Is Kodros a fit?

Tick what is true.

Six or seven: let's talk. Four or five: some gaps. Three or fewer: wait, or ask an IT person you trust.

We do not take healthcare, legal or financial-advice clients for now. Renting AI seats can cost less per month. Owning makes sense when you want the hardware, the files and a clean way out.

What to gather

A rough list. Blanks are fine. Never write down a password.

• People. Who says yes, who covers for them, and who knows the files.
• Where your data lives. Email, shared drives or cloud folders, how many computers and phones hold work data, accounting or store software, and paper to scan.
• The space. An outlet, a network cable, someone to open the door during setup week, and a guess at your file size in gigabytes.

Every account stays in your name. We never ask for a password. You type sign-ins yourself while we watch on screen.

The install week

The one-week install is $4,950 fixed on client hardware. Includes 1 site, up to 10 users, 1 document collection, 30 days support. 50% deposit. Your written scope confirms the work.

1. Day 1. Check the room, power and network. Confirm the data list.

2. Day 2. Install the server software and Hermes Desktop, pinned to the versions we tested.

3. Day 3. Copy your files in and set up backups.

4. Day 4. Run a restore test while you watch.

5. Day 5. Pair your devices and try the first approved job.

You get a handover record: what was installed, who owns each account, and where the backup lives. Sign acceptance only after the restore test passes.

The quote may leave out hardware, taxes or work after the week. Get those lines in writing. See the one-week install.

Where the server goes

The server is always on. Keep it dry, cool and out of the way: not on the floor, in a closed closet or in a sunny window.

An NVIDIA DGX Spark needs about 4 inches in front, 1 inch at the sides and 16 inches behind, in a room between 41 and 86 F.

We recommend a UPS battery so the server shuts down cleanly in a power cut.

Copying your files

We copy. Nothing is moved or deleted.

1. Copy the folders you listed to the server.

2. Compare file counts and sizes on both sides.

3. Open ten files you know well from the server. Check name, date and pages.

4. Flag anything missing. If one is wrong, we stop.

Long names, locked files and documents inside online tools may not copy cleanly. We go through each with you. Originals stay until a restore test passes.

The first restore test

It runs after setup and before you sign. The setup keeps three copies:

• The live copy on the server.
• A second copy on separate storage in the same building.
• A third copy offline (unplugged) or immutable, meaning it cannot be changed or erased for a set period.

1. We restore the files onto a spare computer.

2. You pick a real file. We do not choose it.

3. You open it from the restored copy and compare it with the original.

4. We write down how long it took.

If it fails, we fix it and run it again. You do not sign until it passes. Get the full recovery time in writing, and schedule the next test.

Picking a first job

Pick a frequent job where a mistake is small and easy to spot. The assistant drafts and a named person approves. See Approvals.

• Good first jobs: a reply to a common customer question, sorting the inbox for someone to read, last quarter's invoices in one list, finding a document's latest version, or a weekly summary.
• Bad first jobs: anything that moves money, sends on its own, or touches records you cannot replace.

Write down how it runs today, then stick to that one job until it is reliable.

Pairing your devices

Pairing links a phone or computer to your server. You are in the room for every device.

1. We start the server and Hermes Desktop.

2. You confirm which devices are allowed.

3. We pair each one while you watch.

4. You try an unpaired phone. It should be refused. Security has the steps.

5. You write down which devices are paired.

Never text a pairing code. If a phone or laptop goes missing, tell us the same day and we remove it. The Kodros iPhone app is a public TestFlight beta at testflight.apple.com/join/BjFNCF45. It is not on the App Store. There is no Mac app.

Running the first job

Run it once with you in the room.

1. Ask. For example: "draft a short reply to this question, and don't send it."

2. Check. Compare names, dates and amounts with the original. Remove any detail without a source.

3. Decide. Edit, then approve or decline. Nobody at Kodros can approve for you.

Practice a job that works, a mistake you catch, and an action you decline.

Weeks two to four

• Daily, about five minutes: check waiting drafts against their sources, then approve, edit or reject. Five minutes is our plan, not a measured average.
• Weekly: note anything odd, confirm the backup ran, and check with us before adding a second job.
• Around week four: rerun the restore test, review access, remove anyone who left, and decide whether to continue.

Before you sign, decide in writing who looks after the server: you, your IT contractor, or Kodros under a separate written quote.

If something looks wrong

Stop first. Write it down after.

1. Decline any waiting approval.

2. Ask your named contact to pause the assistant. If you cannot reach them, unplug the server's network cable. Files are not harmed.

3. Do not delete anything to fix it.

4. Do not turn off the backup.

Then note what you saw, when, what you were doing, and anything sent or nearly sent. Do not paste the strange text into another tool. Stop for: details you never gave it, a message you did not approve, an unknown device, changed or missing files, or an error you cannot explain.