Most people open Claude Cowork and wonder why it keeps missing.

The problem is not the tool. It is what you gave it to work with.

Here is the setup that fixes it:

1. Create 4 folders: system/, context/, projects/, outputs/

2. Write how-i-work.md — your thinking style, preferences, what good output looks like

3. Write system-rules.md — when to ask, how to handle ambiguity, what strong results look like

4. Add global instructions in Settings → Cowork so every session starts right

Short prompts from then on. Your files carry the weight.