10 Steps to Set Up Claude

Section (eyebrow): 10 Steps to Set Up Claude

A year ago Claude was giving me bad answers. Not because it's bad, but because it knew nothing about me. Starting from scratch every single time. These 10 steps fix that for good.

Setup

10 steps. One time. Forever.

01. Desktop, not the browser

Download the Claude Desktop app (claude.ai/download). The browser has no memory across tabs, MCP servers don't work, and there's no file access. Desktop = 100% of the capabilities.

→ mac.getapp.com/claude → download → drag into Applications

02. A Project, not a chat

In the sidebar, hit "New Project". Name it after your business, your name, or a specific project. A Project is like an employee you've hired who has permanent memory. A regular chat is like talking to a stranger every day.

→ One Project = one workspace. Don't mix work and personal stuff.

03. Know which mode to use

Chat is for quick one-off questions (it doesn't keep history). Projects are for ongoing work: Claude remembers everything you've uploaded and every past conversation. Project Instructions is your permanent system prompt that gets read every single time.

→ For business tasks, always use Projects. Chat only when the task is a one-off.

04. Organize the files in your project

Upload the documents Claude should always know into Project Files: price lists, product descriptions, your communication style. For day-to-day work, create folders on your computer: /claude-inputs (what you hand over) and /claude-outputs (what you get back). Give files clear names, Claude sees the filename.

→ Name files so they make sense: contract_client_november.docx, not copy_final2_new.docx

05. Write the 2 key files

about-me.md is who you are, what you do, and your current priorities. anti-ai-style.md is a list of phrases Claude must never use. One well-written .md file beats 50 messy uploads.

06. Create a master prompt

Instead of a new prompt every time, use one template that automatically loads your context. On a Mac: System Settings → Keyboard → Text Shortcuts. Type /p and the template expands anywhere.

→ The template below is a ready-made starting point, just fill in your details.

07. Let Claude ask questions

Add this to your System Instructions: "If the task is unclear, ask 2-3 clarifying questions BEFORE you start." This eliminates the situation where it builds the wrong thing and you have to redo it.

08. Turn on extra tools

In Settings → Features, enable Tools if they're available. Claude.ai handles files through Projects (upload PDFs, Excel files, images). For deeper code integrations, use Claude Code, a separate terminal tool for developers.

→ For entrepreneurs: Projects + file uploads cover 90% of tasks with no extra setup.

09. Connect external services

Settings → Integrations. Connect what you use every day: Slack, Google Workspace (Gmail + Calendar + Drive), Notion. Once connected, Claude sees the context (your emails, meetings, notes) and can work with real data.

10. Create your first automated task

Ask Claude to write something you currently do by hand every week. A sales report, a news digest, an email draft. Save the prompt. Run it once a week. That's automation without code.

→ One task automated → results you can see right away.

Templates, take them

The files we promised. Right here.

Fill out about-me.md once and Claude will know everything it needs about you in every new session. anti-ai-style.md kills corporate language for good.

about-me.md template

_(copy and fill in)_

``` # Who I am

Name: [Your name] Role: [Job title / what you do] Company: [Name, industry, team size]

Current project: [What you're working on right now, 1-2 sentences] Top priority this week: [A specific task] Tools: [What you use: Notion / CRM / programming language / etc]

Tone: [Direct / formal / friendly] Language: English Answer format: [Short / detailed / with code examples]

- No openers like "Sure!" or "Great question!" - Don't repeat my question back before answering - Don't close with "Hope this helps!" - Use @anti-ai-style.md as a filter ```

anti-ai-style.md template

_(copy and fill in)_

``` # Banned phrases

Claude never uses these words and phrases:

AI clichés - "Firstly... secondly... thirdly..." - "It's worth noting" - "Thus" - "In conclusion, I'd like to note" - "This allows us to" - "Revolutionary" - "Game-changing" - "Unique" - "Quite" - "That said" - "Aforementioned"

Corporate speak - "Optimize processes" - "Drive efficiency" - "Synergy" - "Build competencies" - "As part of this project"

Abstractions without numbers - "A lot" → be specific: "3x more" - "Fast" → "in 2 minutes" - "Effective" → "saves 2 hours a day"

Style rule Short sentences. One thought per line. Concrete numbers instead of abstractions. No fluff. ```

master prompt template

_(copy and fill in)_

``` You work with me as a partner, not an assistant.

Before every task, read: - @about-me.md (who I am, context, priorities) - @anti-ai-style.md (how not to write)

Ground rules: 1. If the task is unclear, ask 2-3 clarifying questions BEFORE you start 2. If you spot a flaw in my approach, say so directly 3. Don't agree automatically: if I'm wrong, explain why 4. Keep answers short and to the point 5. When you do something important, explain WHY, not just WHAT

Current context: [add whatever is relevant right now] ```

How to add it to a Project

Open Project Settings → Project Instructions → paste the master prompt. Then attach both .md files via the attach-files button. Claude will read them automatically before every task.

Bottom line

Before and after. The difference shows in a day.

Without the setup

• ✕ You explain who you are every single time
• ✕ AI-flavored answers full of "that said" and "it's worth noting"
• ✕ Claude agrees with every idea you have
• ✕ A new prompt for every task
• ✕ Everything done by hand, every time

After the setup

• → Claude knows your context from about-me.md
• → Answers in your voice, no AI clichés
• → Asks questions when something's unclear
• → One master prompt for everything
• → Recurring tasks on autopilot