What Is Claude Code?
Anthropic's agentic AI tool that lives in your terminal. It reads your entire codebase, edits files, runs commands, and manages git — all through natural language. Despite the name, it's not just for developers. PMs use it to prototype from PRDs, explore codebases safely, automate workflows, and build internal tools — without writing a single line of code.
Terminal CLI
VS Code
JetBrains
Desktop App
Git Integration
Plan Mode
Subagents
MCP Servers
92%
US devs use AI coding tools daily
41%
of all code is now AI-generated
40%
PM productivity boost (McKinsey)
4+hrs
saved per week by 63% of PMs
Three Surfaces — Same Brain
Claude has three interfaces. Each builds on the last. If you've used Cowork, you're already 70% to Code.
Chat
Like texting a colleague who remembers everything
- Conversations & Q&A
- Brainstorming & ideation
- No files, no workflow
- Free tier available
- Extended thinking
Cowork
An assistant who reads every brief
- Files & workflows
- Real .docx/.pptx/.xlsx output
- Parallel sub-agents
- Web connectors (Gmail, Slack)
- Sandboxed VM — safe
Code
An engineer co-building with you
- Full terminal & git access
- Direct filesystem access
- Plan Mode & subagents
- MCP servers (150+)
- Custom Skills & plugins
What carries over: CLAUDE.md, web connectors, Skills, folder structure | What's new in Code: git, bash, auto memory, Plan Mode, /loop, /compact
Getting Started — 6 Steps
1
Download VS Code
Free. Mac, Windows, Linux. code.visualstudio.com
2
Install the Extension
Ctrl+Shift+X → search "Claude Code" → Install
3
Open Your Project Folder
File → Open Folder. Use the same folder you use with Cowork. Your CLAUDE.md carries over.
4
Authenticate
First launch opens browser for OAuth. Authorize and you're in. No API keys needed.
5
Set Model & Effort
/model for Sonnet (fast) or Opus (deep). /effort for thinking depth.
6
Learn Plan Mode
Press Shift+Tab to toggle. Claude proposes a plan, waits for OK. You approve before anything happens.
CLAUDE.md & Skills — Your Power Tools
YOUR PROJECT MEMORY
CLAUDE.md
A file at your project root that persists across sessions. Claude reads it on every start. Create with claude init or manually.
WHAT TO INCLUDE
- Stack & architecture — frameworks, languages, structure
- Naming conventions — file names, variables, components
- Key file paths — where important code lives
- Testing standards — what to test, how to run
- Common workflows — deploy steps, PR process
- Anti-patterns — what NOT to do
Keep it lean. Use pointers, not copies. Cascading: root CLAUDE.md + subfolder overrides — like CSS inheritance.
YOUR CUSTOM COMMANDS
Skills (SKILL.md)
.claude/skills/write-prd/SKILL.md
---
name: write-prd
description: Generate a structured PRD
from a one-line brief. Trigger
when user says "write a PRD".
---
# Role
You are a senior PM writing a PRD.
# Rules
- Use the template in templates/prd.md
- Include user stories, success metrics
- Ask clarifying questions first
name: write-prd
description: Generate a structured PRD
from a one-line brief. Trigger
when user says "write a PRD".
---
# Role
You are a senior PM writing a PRD.
# Rules
- Use the template in templates/prd.md
- Include user stories, success metrics
- Ask clarifying questions first
Description is the trigger. Claude reads it to decide when to invoke. 200 char max. Write it once → use it hundreds of times.
PM SKILL IDEAS
/write-prd
PRD from brief
/comp-analysis
Competitive intel
/interview-sync
User interview notes
/sprint-review
Sprint summary doc
Essential Commands
| Command | What It Does |
|---|---|
| /plan | Read-only analysis mode — Claude plans, you approve |
| /clear | Wipe conversation history for a fresh start |
| /compact | Compress context without losing essential info |
| /model | Switch between Sonnet (fast) / Opus (deep) / Haiku |
| /effort | Adjust thinking depth — from quick to thorough |
| Command | What It Does |
|---|---|
| /memory | Edit your CLAUDE.md memory files |
| /init | Create a CLAUDE.md template for your project |
| /review | Review a pull request with structured feedback |
| /config | Open settings and preferences |
| /loop | Run a task on a recurring interval (cron-style) |
Context Management — The #1 Skill
Claude's context window holds your entire conversation + every file read + every command output. It fills up fast. The best users obsessively manage it.
/compact at 80%
When context usage hits ~80%, run
/compact to compress the conversation. Add focus: /compact retain error handling patterns/clear Between Tasks
Switching topics? Start fresh with
/clear. Clean context = better answers. Don't drag unrelated context across tasks.Spec → Fresh Session
Write your full spec to
SPEC.md, then start a new session to execute. Clean context focused entirely on implementation.PM Use Cases
Prototype from PRD
Write a markdown spec → Claude builds a working prototype in one session
Codebase Explorer
Use Plan Mode to ask questions about code — no risk of changing anything
Data Analysis
Upload CSVs → funnel analysis, feature impact matrices, charts in under a minute
Competitive Intel
Automated research + structured comparison docs with web search
PRD Generation
From scattered meeting notes to structured, template-based PRDs
Interview Synthesis
Extract key insights, pain points, and quotes from user interviews
Technical Writing
API docs, release notes, changelogs generated from code diffs
Internal Tools
Build dashboards, calculators, and workflow tools without engineering
MCP Servers & Pro Tips
CONNECT YOUR PM TOOLS
- GitHub PR workflows, issue management, code review BUILT-IN
- Linear / Jira Query tickets, update status, link to PRDs
- Slack Summarize threads, draft messages, search history
- Notion Reference docs, update pages, query databases
- Figma Inspect designs, design-to-code, extract tokens
- Google Drive Read/write docs and sheets directly
- Playwright Browser automation, testing, screenshots
TIPS FROM POWER USERS
- 1Plan Mode first. Always. Claude proposes, you approve. No surprises.
- 2One Skill per task. Keep Skills lean and single-purpose. 10 min setup = 40 min saved per use.
- 3Auto Memory works. Claude saves patterns per workspace in MEMORY.md. Use /memory to review.
- 4Sonnet for 80%, Opus for 20%. Sonnet is fast and cheap. Switch to Opus for architecture and refactoring.
- 5Remote control. Start claude in terminal, continue from phone via claude.ai.
- 6Combine Cowork + Code. Use /schedule for daily cron, /loop for in-session monitoring.
What It Costs
Pro
$20
/month
Minimum tier for Claude Code. Good for getting started and light PM use.
Max
$100
/month
20x more capacity. Extended thinking, research, and heavy daily use.
Recommended
API Key
~$6
/day avg
Pay-per-use. ~$100-200/mo. Below $12/day for 90% of users.
