CLAUDE.md Setup & Project Context

What You'll Learn

• What CLAUDE.md is (and why it's your secret weapon)
• What to include (and what to leave out)
• Industry-specific templates (SaaS, agency, e-commerce, consulting)
• How to structure CLAUDE.md for founders (not devs)
• The /init command (auto-generate CLAUDE.md)

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Why This Matters (3 min read)

The Scenario:

Every time you open Claude Code, you repeat the same intro:

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You: "I'm a non-technical founder building a B2B SaaS tool for remote teams.
Product: Team collaboration platform.
Stage: Pre-launch MVP.
I need help with product specs and customer research.
Please keep outputs concise and non-technical."

You've said this 20 times this month.

It takes 2 minutes every session. That's 40 minutes wasted repeating yourself.

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The Solution: CLAUDE.md

CLAUDE.md is a special file that Claude reads automatically at the start of EVERY session.

You write it ONCE. Claude remembers FOREVER.

After adding CLAUDE.md:

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You: "Help me validate this feature idea"
Claude: [Already knows you're a founder, your product, your style, your goals]
        "Got it! Let's validate this. First, tell me..."

No more repeating context. Ever.

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What Is CLAUDE.md?

Simple Definition:

CLAUDE.md is a markdown file in your project root that tells Claude:

• Who you are (role, experience level)
• What you're building (product, industry, stage)
• How you want Claude to help (tone, format, constraints)
• Where to save outputs (file structure)

Key Feature:

Claude Code automatically reads CLAUDE.md when you start a session in that folder.

It's like giving Claude a briefing document BEFORE you even say hello.

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What CLAUDE.md Does (Technical)

When you run Claude Code in VSCode:

1. Claude scans your project root
2. Finds CLAUDE.md (if it exists)
3. Loads it into context before your first prompt
4. Uses it as persistent instructions for the entire session

This means:

• No need to repeat "I'm a founder" every session
• No need to explain your product 10 times
• No need to say "keep it non-technical" in every prompt

CLAUDE.md = Your project's permanent memory.

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What to Include in CLAUDE.md (The Essentials)

A good CLAUDE.md has 5 core sections:

1. Project Context (Who, What, Why)

Tell Claude:

• What you're building
• Who you are
• What stage you're at

Example:

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# Project: TeamFlow MVP

## What This Project Is
I'm a non-technical founder building a B2B SaaS tool for remote teams (10-50 people).
Product: Team collaboration platform (Slack + Asana hybrid).
Stage: Pre-launch MVP, validating product-market fit.

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2. Your Role (What You Do/Don't Do)

Clarify your skills and limits:

Example:

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## My Role
- Founder & Product Lead
- Focus: Product strategy, customer research, go-to-market
- NOT a developer (don't write code, avoid technical jargon)

Why this matters:

• Claude won't suggest "write a React component" if you say you're non-technical
• Claude adapts tone (plain English vs. dev jargon)

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3. How to Help Me (What You Need)

List your common tasks:

Example:

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## How to Help Me
- Write product specs from rough ideas
- Analyze customer feedback for patterns
- Generate marketing copy (landing pages, emails)
- Prioritize features (RICE scoring)
- Validate ideas with competitive research

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4. File Structure (Where Things Go)

Tell Claude where to save outputs:

Example:

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## File Structure
- `specs/` — Product requirement docs
- `research/` — Customer interviews, feedback
- `analysis/` — Your syntheses and reports (save here)
- `marketing/` — Landing page copy, email sequences
- `prompts/` — My reusable prompt templates

Why this matters:

• Claude knows where to find files ("read all files in research/")
• Claude knows where to save outputs ("save analysis to analysis/ folder")

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5. Style Preferences (How to Write)

Specify tone, length, format:

Example:

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## Style Preferences
- Keep outputs concise (1-2 pages max)
- Use plain English (no technical jargon)
- Show your reasoning (don't just give answers)
- Include examples where helpful
- Use bullet points over long paragraphs

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Full CLAUDE.md Template (Founder Version)

Here's a complete template you can copy-paste:

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# Project: [Your Project Name]

## What This Project Is
[1-2 sentences: What are you building? What industry? What stage?]

Example:
I'm a non-technical founder building a B2B SaaS tool for remote teams (10-50 people).
Product: Team collaboration platform (Slack + Asana hybrid).
Stage: Pre-launch MVP, validating product-market fit.

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## My Role
- [Your role: Founder, PM, Operator, etc.]
- [What you focus on: Product, strategy, marketing, etc.]
- [What you DON'T do: Code, design, etc.]

Example:
- Founder & Product Lead
- Focus: Product strategy, customer research, go-to-market
- NOT a developer (don't write code, avoid technical jargon)

---

## How to Help Me
[List your common tasks]

Example:
- Write product specs from rough ideas
- Analyze customer feedback for patterns
- Generate marketing copy (landing pages, emails, social)
- Prioritize features (RICE scoring)
- Validate ideas with competitive research

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## File Structure
[Tell Claude where things go]

Example:
- `specs/` — Product requirement docs
- `research/` — Customer interviews, competitor analysis
- `analysis/` — Your syntheses and reports (save outputs here)
- `marketing/` — Landing page copy, email sequences
- `prompts/` — My reusable prompt templates

---

## Style Preferences
[How Claude should write for you]

Example:
- Keep outputs concise (1-2 pages max for specs)
- Use plain English (no technical jargon)
- Show your reasoning (don't just give answers)
- Include direct quotes when analyzing customer feedback
- Use bullet points and headings (not long paragraphs)

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## Common Tasks
[Optional: Specific workflows you repeat]

Example:
### Product Spec Generation
1. Read my rough idea (usually in `specs/drafts/`)
2. Ask clarifying questions (target user, problem, solution)
3. Generate spec using this template: [link to template]
4. Save to `specs/[feature-name]-spec.md`

### Customer Research Synthesis
1. Read interview transcripts (in `research/interviews/`)
2. Identify top 5 pain points (ranked by frequency)
3. Include direct quotes
4. Save analysis to `analysis/customer-insights-[date].md`

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Industry-Specific Templates

Template 1: SaaS Founder

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# Project: [SaaS Product Name]

## What This Project Is
B2B SaaS tool for [target customer, company size].
Product: [1-sentence description].
Stage: [Pre-launch / MVP / Growth stage]

## My Role
- Founder & Product Lead
- Focus: Product-market fit, customer acquisition, roadmap prioritization
- NOT technical (avoid code, keep language accessible)

## How to Help Me
- Product specs and feature prioritization
- Customer feedback analysis
- Landing page and marketing copy
- Competitive positioning
- Go-to-market strategy

## File Structure
- `specs/` — Product docs
- `research/` — Customer interviews, surveys
- `marketing/` — Website copy, email campaigns
- `analysis/` — Claude outputs

## Style Preferences
- Concise (1-2 pages)
- Plain English
- Benefit-focused (not feature-focused)

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Template 2: Agency/Consultant Founder

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# Project: [Agency Name] - Client Projects

## What This Project Is
[Type of agency: marketing, design, dev shop].
Focus: [Services you offer].
Stage: [Building systems, scaling, etc.]

## My Role
- Agency Founder / Consultant
- Focus: Client deliverables, proposals, process documentation
- NOT doing the actual work (managing team)

## How to Help Me
- Write client proposals and scopes of work
- Create process documentation for team
- Generate client-facing reports
- Draft email templates for sales/onboarding
- Analyze project profitability

## File Structure
- `clients/[client-name]/` — Per-client folders
- `templates/` — Reusable proposals, SOWs
- `processes/` — Internal documentation
- `reports/` — Client deliverables

## Style Preferences
- Professional tone (client-facing docs)
- Detailed but scannable (bullet points, headings)
- Include examples and templates

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Template 3: E-commerce/Physical Product Founder

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# Project: [Brand Name] - E-commerce

## What This Project Is
E-commerce brand selling [product category].
Target: [Customer demographic].
Stage: [Launching / Scaling / Optimizing]

## My Role
- Founder / Brand Owner
- Focus: Product development, marketing, customer experience
- NOT technical (Shopify user, not developer)

## How to Help Me
- Product descriptions and landing pages
- Email marketing sequences
- Customer research analysis (reviews, feedback)
- Social media content planning
- Influencer outreach templates

## File Structure
- `products/` — Product descriptions, specs
- `marketing/` — Email campaigns, social content
- `research/` — Customer feedback, surveys
- `content/` — Blog posts, guides

## Style Preferences
- Engaging, benefit-driven tone
- Short paragraphs (mobile-friendly)
- Include CTAs in copy

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How to Create CLAUDE.md (2 Methods)

Method 1: Manual (Copy Template)

1. Open your project in VSCode
2. Create new file: CLAUDE.md (root directory)
3. Copy one of the templates above
4. Customize for your project
5. Save

Time: 5 minutes

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Method 2: Auto-Generate with /init

Claude Code has a built-in command to create CLAUDE.md automatically:

Step 1: Open Claude Code in your project

Step 2: Run this command:

/init

Step 3: Claude will:

• Analyze your project files
• Detect the type of project (SaaS, content site, etc.)
• Generate a CLAUDE.md file
• Ask if you want to customize it

Step 4: Review and edit

The auto-generated version is a good starting point, but customize it:

• Add your role/experience level
• Specify style preferences
• Add common tasks

Time: 2 minutes + 3 minutes customization

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Best Practices (Do's & Don'ts)

✅ DO:

Keep it concise — Aim for 200-500 words. Too long = wastes context.

Be specific — "I'm a non-technical founder" is better than "I'm a founder"

Update as you go — Add new patterns you discover ("Always save specs to specs/ folder")

Use examples — Show Claude what "good" looks like

Include constraints — "Never write code" or "Keep outputs under 2 pages"

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❌ DON'T:

Write an essay — Claude doesn't need your life story

Include project history — "We tried X, then Y, then Z..." (not relevant)

List every possible task — Focus on your top 3-5 use cases

Use vague language — "Help me with stuff" → useless

Forget to update — Stale CLAUDE.md is worse than no CLAUDE.md

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Advanced: Hierarchical CLAUDE.md (For Monorepos)

If you have multiple projects in one repo:

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founder-workspace/
├── CLAUDE.md (global preferences)
├── product-validation/
│   ├── CLAUDE.md (product-specific)
│   └── specs/
├── marketing-campaigns/
│   ├── CLAUDE.md (marketing-specific)
│   └── copy/

How it works:

• Claude reads the nearest CLAUDE.md in the directory tree
• If in product-validation/, Claude reads that CLAUDE.md first
• Then inherits from parent founder-workspace/CLAUDE.md

Use case: Different tone for different projects (formal for B2B, casual for consumer)

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Try This Now (Exercise — 5 Minutes)

Step 1: Create CLAUDE.md (3 min)

1. Open your project in VSCode (or create a test folder)
2. Create CLAUDE.md file
3. Copy the Founder Template (above)
4. Customize the 5 sections:
   • Project Context
   • Your Role
   • How to Help
   • File Structure
   • Style Preferences

Step 2: Test It (2 min)

1. Open Claude Code
2. Say: "What do you know about this project?"
3. Claude should summarize your CLAUDE.md

If it works: 🎉 Claude now remembers your context forever!

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Common Mistakes (And Fixes)

Mistake 1: CLAUDE.md Too Long (1,000+ words)

Problem: Wastes context window, Claude ignores most of it.

Fix: Keep under 500 words. Be concise.

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Mistake 2: Too Vague

Bad:

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## My Role
I'm a founder

Good:

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## My Role
- Non-technical founder (don't write code)
- Focus: Product specs, customer research, marketing
- 5 years experience in B2B SaaS

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Mistake 3: Never Updating

Problem: You add CLAUDE.md once, never revisit. It becomes outdated.

Fix: Review monthly. Add new patterns ("Always include ROI calculations in specs").

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Mistake 4: Including Temporary Info

Bad:

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## Current Task
Working on feature X for launch next week.

Fix: CLAUDE.md is for PERMANENT context. Temporary stuff goes in prompts.

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Downloads

📥 CLAUDE.md Template (Founder Version) — Copy-paste ready 📥 Industry Templates Pack (5 templates) — SaaS, Agency, E-commerce, Consulting, Content 📥 CLAUDE.md Checklist (PDF) — Did you include all 5 sections? 📥 Before/After Examples — See the difference CLAUDE.md makes

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What's Next

You now have persistent project context. Claude "remembers" who you are, what you're building, and how you work.

In the final lesson of Module 0, we'll cover Session Management & Workflows:

• When to continue a session vs. start fresh
• How to use /recap effectively
• Handling mistakes (when Claude gets it wrong)
• Real workflow examples (a founder's day with Claude)

→ Next Lesson: Session Management & Workflows

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Key Takeaways

✅ CLAUDE.md = Persistent project memory (write once, Claude remembers forever) ✅ Include 5 sections: Context, Role, How to Help, File Structure, Style ✅ Keep it concise: 200-500 words (not an essay) ✅ Use templates: Start with industry-specific template, customize ✅ Update as you go: Add new patterns you discover ✅ Test it: Ask Claude "What do you know about this project?"

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Sources & Attribution:

This lesson curates content from:

• Builder.io: Complete Guide to CLAUDE.md
• Anthropic: Using CLAUDE.MD Files
• HumanLayer: Writing a Good CLAUDE.md
• Dometrain: Creating the Perfect CLAUDE.md

Additional insights and founder-specific templates by NerdSmith.

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Version: 1.0 (2026-02-08) Module: 0 — Claude Code Bootcamp Lesson: 4 of 5