Claude Code for the Rest of Us: Setup Guide
A dummy-proof way to get started and a few quick ideas to test the waters.
Paid subscriber bonus: Grab the Claude Code Essentials pack with self-building skills, customizable workflows, and copy-paste use cases.
I have a shameful confession to make.
Despite hearing great things about Claude Code for months, I’ve been hesitant to actually give it a shot. I mean, why try AI if you can not try AI, am I right?
I don’t know if it’s the scary “Code” word in its name, the fact that it isn’t free1, or the terminal interface that brings back painful childhood trauma of my MS-DOS and Norton Commander days.
The point is, I kept reading about Claude Code without taking any action.
But Claude Code chatter wouldn’t stop. Substack included.
Charlie Guo kept suggesting I try something like Claude Code or OpenAI’s Codex since late last year. Alex McFarland has built his entire writing system around Claude Code.
The final straw came last week, when Ethan Mollick wrote “Claude Code and What Comes Next.”
So I caved.
“Fine, Claude Code. You win! I give up! Happy now?!” I screamed at the wall, startl…