How to use codex to get the most out of it (jxnl.co)

The latest upgrades to OpenAI's Codex have transformed its usability beyond coding to encompass broader knowledge work, allowing users to efficiently create and manage a variety of artifacts like presentations, PDFs, and spreadsheets. Users are now adopting a "durable thread" approach, utilizing pinned threads to maintain ongoing workstreams that accumulate history and preferences over time. This continuity enhances productivity, albeit with an understanding that longer threads may incur additional costs when revisited. Significantly, the integration of voice input and new steering capabilities allows users to inject commands while tasks are in progress, creating a seamless workflow that can adapt in real-time. Coupled with features like Heartbeats—automated thread monitors—and memory storage for shared context, Codex enables a more cohesive and dynamic working environment. The side panel functionality further enhances this by allowing users to interact directly with projects, inspect artifacts, and manage changes without disrupting the workflow, marking a substantial shift in how AI can assist in continuous and collaborative work processes.