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The Vibecoder’s Guide to Claude Code

Your claude code setup for building with AI as a creative, author, entrepreneur, or super employee. Bookmark this page.

What You’ll Need

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A Mac or Windows computer
You already have this
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Cursor (code editor)
Free – cursor.com
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Claude subscription
$20/mo (Pro) or $100-200/mo (Max for heavy use)

That’s it. No coding experience required. If you can drag and drop files, you can do this.

What Success Looks Like

After completing this setup, you’ll be able to:

🎙️

Turn a 5-minute voice memo into a polished blog postIn your voice, with your style, ready to publish

📱

Transform one piece of content into 5 platformsBlog → Twitter thread → LinkedIn post → email → YouTube script

📖

Draft chapters, sales pages, and email sequencesAll matching your voice because Claude learned how you write

🌐

Build your first landing pageDescribe what you want, Claude builds it, deploy it to the internet

Your Course Materials

Quick Start (or late reminder) Audio Guide:

🎧
Download AudioMP3 – Save for offline listening

90 min step by step setup walkthrough:

📁
Download Starter PackZIP – 20 prompts + templates + project starters

Complete Setup Guide

Follow these phases in order. You only do this once.

PHASE 1

Set Up Your Workspace

I use Cursor as my file manager when working with Claude Code. It’s free and makes it easy to see what Claude is building.

Install Cursor

Download and install Cursor from cursor.com

It’s free. Just download, drag to Applications (Mac) or run the installer (Windows), and open it.

Open Terminal in Cursor

Once Cursor is open, open the built-in terminal:

Mac: Press Ctrl + ` (backtick, the key above Tab)

Windows: Press Ctrl + `

Or go to View → Terminal from the menu bar.

A terminal panel will appear at the bottom of Cursor. This is where you’ll run Claude.

Install Node.js (If Needed)

Claude Code requires Node.js to run. Check if you have it by typing this in terminal:

node –version

If you see a version number (like v20.x.x), you’re good. Skip to step 4.

If you get “command not found,” install Node.js:

Mac:

/bin/bash -c “$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)”

Then run:

brew install node

Windows: Download and run the installer from nodejs.org (choose the LTS version)

After installing: Close and reopen the terminal, then run node --version again to confirm it worked.

Install Claude Code

In the Cursor terminal, copy and paste this command:

Mac/Linux:

curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash

Windows:

irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex

Wait about 30 seconds for installation.

Start Claude and Sign In

Type claude and press Enter. Your browser opens – sign in with your Anthropic account.

Need an account? Go to claude.ai and subscribe to Pro or Max.

Test It

With Claude running, type:

Create a file called hello.txt on my desktop with a haiku about coffee

Type y when Claude asks permission. If a file appears on your desktop, you’re ready!

Understanding Permissions

By default, Claude asks for your approval before every action (creating files, running commands, etc.). You’ll see a prompt and type y to approve or n to deny.

This is the safe way to learn. You see exactly what Claude is doing, step by step.

But it can get tedious when you’re working on bigger projects and you trust Claude to do its thing…

🔓 The Cheat Code: “In Claude We Trust” Mode

Once you’re comfortable, you can let Claude run without asking permission for every action.

1. Type exit to end your current Claude session

2. Restart Claude with this command:

claude --dangerously-skip-permissions

Now Claude will execute commands automatically without asking. This is how vibecoders work: describe what you want, let Claude build it, check the results.

Warning: Only use this in project folders you trust. Claude has full access to create, modify, and delete files.

Alternative: Use Terminal Directly
Don’t want to use Cursor? You can run Claude in your system terminal instead:
Mac: Press Cmd + Space, type “Terminal”, press Enter
Windows: Right-click Start button → Windows PowerShell
Then follow steps 3-6 above.

PHASE 2

Install the Starter Pack

Create a Project Folder

In Cursor, go to File → Open Folder and create or select a folder where you want to keep your Claude projects (like Documents/Projects).

This becomes your workspace. You’ll see it in Cursor’s sidebar.

Download the Starter Pack

Click the “Download Starter Pack” button above. The ZIP file will download to your Downloads folder.

Extract with Claude

With Claude running in your Cursor terminal, drag the ZIP file into the terminal window. This pastes the file path. Then type:

Extract this file here and show me what’s inside

Claude will unzip it into your current folder. You’ll see the new claude-code-starter folder appear in Cursor’s sidebar.

Navigate Claude to the Starter Pack

Tell Claude:

Navigate to the claude-code-starter folder

Now Claude can see all your starter files and work with them.

What’s in the starter pack: 20 prompt templates, 5 project templates, CLAUDE.md template, .env template for APIs, and troubleshooting guides.

PHASE 3

Run the Setup Wizard

This is the magic step. Instead of configuring 20 prompts manually, Claude interviews you once and customizes everything.

Start the Wizard

Tell Claude:

Read the setup wizard at prompts/setup-wizard.md and interview me to configure my prompts

Answer Claude’s Questions

Claude will ask about:

Who you are: Your business, role, audience
What you create: Content types, platforms, frequency
Your voice: Writing samples (the most important part!)
Your rules: Things to never do, things to always do
Your tools: APIs you have, platforms you use

Provide Writing Samples

When Claude asks for your voice, either:

Point Claude to a folder with your writing: “My writing samples are at /Users/me/blog-posts/”
Or paste 3-5 examples of content that sounds like you

Claude analyzes your writing and creates a voice profile so everything it writes matches YOUR style.

🎉 After this, every prompt in your starter pack knows your voice, your rules, and your preferences.

PHASE 4

Start Building

Now use your customized prompts to build real things.

🎯 The Key Move: Drag → Drop → “Run this prompt”

Every prompt in your starter pack works the same way:

1. Find a prompt file in Cursor’s sidebar (like prompts/voice-to-blog.md)

2. Drag the file into the terminal window

3. Type: “Run this prompt” (and add any input it needs)

That’s it. Drag any prompt file, tell Claude to run it, and watch it work.

Try Your First Prompt

Drag prompts/voice-to-blog.md into terminal and type:

Run this prompt with this transcript: [paste your transcript or voice memo text]

Claude transforms it into a blog post using YOUR voice rules.

Try More Prompts

Content creators: Drag prompts/blog-to-social.md

Run this prompt to turn my latest blog post into Twitter threads and LinkedIn posts

Authors: Drag prompts/chapter-drafting.md

Run this prompt to help me outline my next chapter about [topic]

Entrepreneurs: Drag prompts/sales-page-outline.md

Run this prompt to create a landing page for my [product/service]

When You’re Stuck

The golden rule: just ask Claude.

What prompts do I have and which should I try first?

I want to [your goal]. Which prompt should I use?

Claude knows what’s in your starter pack. Let it guide you.

Recording & Transcription

Many prompts work with voice transcripts. Here’s how to get your audio transcribed:

Record Your Voice Memo

iPhone: Use the Voice Memos app, then AirDrop or email the file to yourself

Mac: Use QuickTime Player → File → New Audio Recording

Any device: Use your phone’s recorder app

Transcribe with Claude

Drag your audio file into the terminal and tell Claude:

Transcribe this audio file

Claude will set up Whisper transcription for you. If it’s your first time, Claude will walk you through getting an OpenAI API key (takes 2 minutes).

Pro tip: Once transcription is set up, you can chain it: “Transcribe this audio file, then run voice-to-blog.md on the transcript”

Prompt Directory

Every prompt works the same way: drag the file into terminal and say “Run this prompt.” Here’s what each one does:

🚀 Start Here

`setup-wizard.md`	Claude interviews you to configure all prompts at once
`voice-document.md`	Analyze your writing samples to build your voice profile
`practice-partner.md`	Interactive guide to practice alongside the audio course

✍️ Content Creation

`voice-to-blog.md`	Transform voice transcripts into polished blog posts
`blog-to-social.md`	Turn one blog post into Twitter, LinkedIn, email, etc.
`research-synthesis.md`	Combine multiple sources into clear insights
`content-calendar.md`	Plan your content strategy with purpose
`voice-match-check.md`	Verify content sounds like you before publishing

📚 Authors & Creators

`chapter-drafting.md`	Transform outlines into full chapters in your voice
`manuscript-to-workbook.md`	Turn books into interactive workbooks

💼 Sales & Business

`sales-page-outline.md`	Create authentic, conversion-focused sales pages
`email-welcome-sequence.md`	Build relationship-first email sequences
`follow-up-email.md`	Generate personalized follow-ups from sales calls
`sales-call-grader.md`	Score calls against a rubric for coaching
`case-study-matcher.md`	Find perfect case studies for each prospect
`competitor-analysis.md`	Understand your competitive landscape

🚀 Build & Deploy

`build-landing-page.md`	Create professional landing pages by describing what you want
`deploy-to-railway.md`	Put your projects on the internet with one command

🔧 Utility & Research

`project-kickoff.md`	Brain dump to Claude, then get interviewed to clarify
`data-to-insights.md`	Transform any data into actionable recommendations
`seo-keyword-interpreter.md`	Turn keyword data into content strategy
`debug-helper.md`	Show Claude an error and let it figure out the fix

Remember: Drag any prompt file into terminal → say “Run this prompt” → add your input. That’s it.

🔧 Unlock Claude Tools (I Forgot This in the Video!)

Claude Code comes with powerful built-in tools that aren’t installed by default. Here’s how to find and add them.

See Available Tools

In any Claude session, type:

/help

This shows all available slash commands and tools. You can also ask Claude directly:

What tools and slash commands do you have available?

Use the Frontend Design Tool

This is the one I use most for building landing pages and web interfaces. It creates professional, polished designs (not generic AI-looking stuff).

The frontend-design skill is built into Claude Code – no installation needed. Just invoke it by typing:

/frontend-design

Or simply describe what you want and Claude will use it automatically:

Build me a landing page for my coaching business with a hero section, testimonials, and email signup form

Best practices: Be specific about your aesthetic – mention fonts, colors, styles you like. For complex projects, create a swipe folder with screenshots of designs you love and point Claude to it.

Browse More Tools

There’s a growing library of Claude Code skills. To see what’s available:

What other skills can I install? Show me the popular ones.

Or check the official repository at github.com/anthropics for new tools as they’re released.

🎨 Why Frontend Design Matters

Most AI-generated websites look… AI-generated. Generic layouts, boring colors, same old patterns.

The /frontend-design tool is specifically trained to create distinctive, production-ready interfaces. It understands visual hierarchy, whitespace, typography, and modern design patterns.

Use it for: Landing pages, signup forms, dashboards, email templates, portfolio sites, and any web interface you want to look professional.

Setting Up API Keys (Optional)

Claude Code becomes much more powerful when connected to external services. All of these are optional – add them as you need them.

🎙️ Voice & Audio

OpenAI

Transcribe voice memos (Whisper) + text-to-speech audio
platform.openai.com/api-keys – ~$5-15/mo

📝 Publishing

WordPress	Publish blog posts directly from Claude WP Admin → Users → Profile → Application Passwords (Free)
Resend	Send automated emails resend.com/api-keys – Free tier available

🔍 Research & SEO

DataForSEO

Keyword research, search volume, competitor data
dataforseo.com/apis – ~$20-30/mo

🎨 Media & Deployment

Replicate	AI image and video generation replicate.com/account – Pay as you go
GitHub	Save your code and enable deployment (required for Railway) github.com – Free See GITHUB-SETUP.md in your starter pack
Railway	Deploy apps, sites, and bots to the internet railway.app/account/tokens – Free tier available See RAILWAY-SETUP.md in your starter pack

How to add keys: Copy .env.template to .env in your starter pack folder. Add your API keys there. Claude will automatically use them when running prompts that need external services.

Level Up: Advanced Tips

Once you’re comfortable with the basics, try these power moves:

🎯 Customize CLAUDE.md

The CLAUDE.md file is Claude’s instruction manual for your project. Edit it to add project-specific rules, your tech stack, file structure notes, and things Claude should never do. Claude reads this automatically every session.

🔌 Add API Integrations

Copy .env.template to .env and add your API keys. Claude can then publish directly to WordPress, research keywords via DataForSEO, transcribe audio with Whisper, and more. The prompts are already built to use these.

📁 Create Project Templates

Check out the project-templates/ folder. These are pre-built folder structures for common projects. Tell Claude “Set up a new book project” and it’ll scaffold everything you need.

🔄 Chain Prompts Together

The real power comes from chaining: voice memo → blog post → social threads → email sequence. Run one prompt, then immediately run the next with the output. Claude remembers context within a session.

Troubleshooting

“Command not found” when I type claude

Close the terminal and reopen it (in Cursor: close the terminal panel and press Ctrl+` again). The installation adds Claude to your path, but you need to restart the terminal.

“Command not found” when I type node

You need to install Node.js first. See Step 3 in Phase 1 above. After installing, close and reopen your terminal.

Claude can’t find my files

Drag the file into the terminal window to paste its path. Or tell Claude the full path: /Users/yourname/Documents/…

The prompts don’t match my voice

Run the setup wizard again: “Read prompts/setup-wizard.md and interview me.” Give Claude better writing samples this time.

How do I stop Claude mid-task?

Press Ctrl + C to interrupt Claude. You can then give new instructions or start over.

I’m stuck and don’t know what to do

Just ask Claude! “I’m stuck. I want to [your goal]. What should I do next?” Claude is better at debugging than you think.

Quick Links

Cursor (my setup)	cursor.com
Claude Subscription	claude.ai
API Console	console.anthropic.com
Official Docs	docs.anthropic.com
Node.js	nodejs.org

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