The best operators treat Claude like a coworker, not a search box.
Here’s how they actually run it: 1️⃣ Cowork Setup ☑ Use Claude in the desktop app, not just the browser. ☑ Free Claude is a taste. Pro is where the real workflow starts. ☑ Keep one main folder with four subfolders: ABOUT-ME, PROJECTS, TEMPLATES, OUTPUTS. ☑ Your voice file should include what you would say — and more importantly, what you would never say. 2️⃣ Model Strategy ☑ Use Opus for deep thinking and complex work. ☑ Use Sonnet for editing, rewriting, and fast execution. ☑ Use Haiku for quick scans and lightweight tasks. ☑ Turn on Extended Thinking when the task needs reasoning. ☑ A weak prompt on the right model can outperform a perfect prompt on the wrong one. ☑ The model matters, but the operator matters more. 3️⃣ Prompting Discipline ☑ Long prompts are often a sign you need better context files. ☑ One task per prompt. Just one. ☑ Tell it what the output should not sound like. That kills generic AI tone fast. ☑ Give the task. Avoid over-explaining the method. 4️⃣ AskUserQuestion ☑ Add AskUserQuestion to your first prompt. Make it a default move. ☑ Let Claude interview you before it produces the final output. ☑ Use the clickable form instead of typing long clarifications. ☑ If the output goes in the wrong direction, say so. Claude can rebuild quickly. 5️⃣ Connectors ☑ Go to Settings → Connectors → Browse. ☑ Connect tools like Slack, Drive, Notion, Gmail, Calendar, and Figma. ☑ Use connectors instead of copy-pasting everything manually. ☑ Context is the real unlock. 6️⃣ Plugins ☑ Go to Cowork → Customize → Browse → Install. ☑ Explore plugins for marketing, legal, sales, data, and finance. ☑ Type / to trigger plugin commands. ☑ Plugins become more powerful when combined with your files and workflows. 7️⃣ Claude in Excel ☑ Install “Claude by Anthropic” from Microsoft Marketplace. ☑ Use Claude directly inside your spreadsheet. ☑ Drop in a PDF and extract tables faster. ☑ No macros. No VBA. But know the limits. 8️⃣ Projects ☑ Create one Project per deliverable. ☑ Upload your gold standard examples. That sets the quality bar. ☑ Start by converting one person’s workflow before scaling to ten. ☑ Treat your first adopter like a co-owner, not just a user. 9️⃣ Artifacts ☑ Build working software inside the chat. ☑ Preview it live. Edit it live. Export when ready. ☑ Create calculators, dashboards, and mini-tools on demand. ☑ Share as HTML so even non-Claude users can use them. 🔟 Mastery ☑ Set Global Instructions once so every task inherits your preferences. ☑ Keep files short and sharp. Under 200 lines is often better. ☑ Review every output, especially anything involving money, legal, customers, or strategy. ☑ Let Claude handle the 80%. You still own the final 20%.
Thanks to Eric Melillo for sharing this.