Tuesday I stood in front of a room in Tulsa and showed them how I set up Claude for my business.
#TrophyForNerds
Afterward, the thing I heard most was:
“I had no idea it could do that.”
The second thing I heard:
“That was exciting and completely over my head.”
Both are fair. I showed them a lot.
So this week, I’m slowing down and showing you the first thing I’d build.
This Week’s Theme: Give Claude a place to work
Build your first Project
Click Projects in Claude’s left-hand sidebar and create a new one.
Name it for the job it will do. Then add:
Instructions: What the Project is for and how Claude should work.
Context: A service description, client intake, presentation, example, meeting notes, or anything else it should know.
A connection, if it makes sense: If the information already lives in Google Drive or another connected tool, bring it in from there.
You do not need twenty files or your entire business figured out.
Start with one real task and the information Claude needs to help you do it.
A Project gives that work somewhere permanent to live.
The key is to give each Project a specific job. You might create one for your weekly content, your sales emails, your business goals, or a process you repeat.
If you work with clients, give each client a separate Project with their own instructions, files, and background information.
Don’t create one giant Project called “My Business” and dump everything into it. Claude can’t use the right context if you hand it one giant pile of everything.
Steal This
Not sure what to put in the Project Instructions? Paste this into Claude:
I want to create a Claude Project for [TASK, PROCESS, OR CLIENT].
I will use it to [WHAT YOU WANT TO DO].
Interview me one question at a time until you understand what this Project needs to do, who the work is for, what information Claude needs, what a good result looks like, and what Claude should never assume or invent.
Tell me which documents or examples I should add. If I don’t have them, help me create enough starting context to move forward.
Then write clear Project Instructions I can paste directly into Claude. Flag anything I still need to review or decide.
Answer the questions. Read what it gives you. Fix anything that’s wrong or sounds nothing like you.
Then paste it into your Project and use it.
It does not have to be perfect before you start. Actual use is how you find out what’s missing.
Want to build yours with me?
That’s what we’re doing inside The AI Lab: Projects.
You’ll complete a short intake before class, and I’ll use it to choose a strong first Project for your business. You don’t have to know what you’re building before you register.
By the end of the ninety minutes, you’ll have a Project built around a real task in your business, with your instructions and context loaded, ready to use.
P.S. You’ve been borrowing my builds every Friday. The AI Lab: Projects is where I show you how to build your own. Same material I taught Tuesday, except we go step by step and you leave with it built on your actual business. Monday, September 14 at 3pm Central, ninety minutes, $147. gingeralchemy.com/the-ai-lab
The earlier you register, the more time I get with your brief.