2025-09-22 TIL: Microsoft Copilot Studio and Process Framework for Microsoft Semantic Kernel

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I heared Microsoft Copilot Studio before, but I didn’t realize it’s similar to the Agent Builder that we want to build and support. Woooo, how can i miss that? Copilot Studio is a grphical, low-code tool for building agents and agent flows.

A collegue shared me the Process Framework for Microsoft Semantic Kernel, which provides a robust solution for automating complex workflows. Each step within the framework performs tasks by invoking user-defined Kernel Functions, utilizing an event-driven model to manage workflow execution.

Xiaoyan woke me at 1 a.m., feeling unwell and wanting to see a doctor before her planned trip to Thailand. At the hospital, tests confirmed acute gastroenteritis, and she decided to cancel her trip.

The late-night visit left me drained, and work felt sluggish all day, with an unfinished diagram still bothering me. In the evening, I played badminton and brought porridge home for Xiaoyan. Tomorrow is our company’s summer event, but my mind is still weighed down by pending tasks.

It rained heavily all day, with the heaviest downpour hitting in the afternoon. Xiaoyan wasn’t feeling well, I met her at the subway and rode her home through the rain, both of us drenched. Work was focused on implementing earlier discussions, and by night, I had a refined architecture diagram I was satisfied with.

The highlight of the day was Hamer’s milestone—30 days straight of sending me her self-recorded ancient poetry recitals without missing a single day. Her dedication and independence made me feel deeply proud.

This Monday felt lighter than usual. Before the Earth Dev meeting, I recorded videos introducing Claude Code and Cline, and in the afternoon, I worked on refining features and discussing tasks.

Breakfast was bread with cheese—our new favorite since Xiaoyan bought some last time. In the evening, we hit the gym for an hour despite the crowd. I also read that GPT-4o will be returned after public demand, valued for its reliability and friendly presence.

A lingering argument from last night carried into the morning, but a second attempt at talking helped Xiaoyan and me clear the air. I realized my delay in installing a shelf had dampened her enthusiasm, and I apologized sincerely.

Later, we went to Mayday’s 5525 concert at the Bird’s Nest—our third time seeing them, but with less excitement this year as Hamer wasn’t with us. The setlist was familiar, with a new “BabyBus” segment. I only truly got into it after the first encore, singing until my voice went hoarse, while Xiaoyan kept a “hotgirl” style.

New songs learned from concert:

• 一颗苹果
• T1213121
• 候鸟
• 孙悟空

Xiaoyan and I hit the gym together for the first time today, working out for about an hour before enjoying brunch and buying cheese for bread. In the afternoon, I assembled a shelf while she got her eyelashes done, then played soccer and scored my first team goal. We ended the day with noodles and skewers.

However, a small disagreement before bed left us both feeling a bit off—Xiaoyan asked me to move my backpack, and I, tired and unwilling, responded curtly. She was upset, but I went to bed without thinking much about it.

I went to the office early, expecting a backup live demo, only to have the meeting postponed ten minutes before it started. I spent the day exploring how to stream both “thinking steps” and final answers, making minor progress but no breakthrough.

It rained nonstop until evening. After dinner with Xiaoyan, we went home, and I turned in early, worn out from the early morning.

Today was lighter and more structured.

After reviewing a demo, I received clear feedback on how to improve the MCP experience and storytelling around our AI workflows. I documented key LLM thoughts to prep for tomorrow’s demo and help future planning. In the afternoon, I joined a discussion on improving feature service performance.

Back home early, I enjoyed dinner and a rare walk with Xiaoyan. She’s close to sealing her first sales deal—something she sourced and pursued herself. Seeing her so thrilled made me feel genuinely proud and happy.

Today was a mix of stress and support.

I accompanied Xiaoyan for her full-anesthesia endoscopy—she was nervous and starving after fasting since the night before. Luckily, results came back mostly normal.

At work, I had back-to-back meetings prepping for Friday’s demo and team’s AI sync meeting. I felt the pressure, especially when struggling to explain some workflow. But progress was made—we finalized the UI and backend in the afternoon.

To decompress, I played badminton and spotted a gorgeous streak of fire clouds on the way home. Exhausted, I crashed early.

I woke early for a 6 a.m. meeting after a rough night—my electric toothbrush kept turning on by itself and disrupted my sleep. The meeting felt uneven: the rushed presentation lacked substance, while the live demos sparked real discussion. This highlighted an ongoing issue—pressure to deliver quickly, without proper planning.

At work, I spent most of the day debugging MCP backend functions. By evening, I was completely drained. Xiaoyan came home early to prep for a medical checkup.

Today was a high-pressure, emotionally heavy day. I struggled to make progress on the AI Assistant workflow, despite looming deadlines. A sudden meeting assigned me leadership, adding to my stress. On top of work, we received a critical health notice about my uncle, which deeply shook me. Thankfully, he’s stable for now. The mix of professional pressure and personal concern made it a tough day to navigate.

We started the day groggy and late after a long, tiring Saturday. Xiaoyan had a hospital visit for a digestive checkup, and a minor misunderstanding between us was quickly resolved with an apology. In the afternoon, we visited Jialing’s new house for a cozy lunch and dinner.