The most underrated part of any Cowork or Claude Code setup isn't the prompts. It's the folder structure.

• Root level. One claude.md with rules that apply to everything you do. One memory.md that tracks what's active. Keep it under 300 lines.

• Workstation level. Each area of your work (email, newsletter, finances, clients) gets its own folder with its own claude.md and memory.md. Rules here only kick in when you're working in that area.

• Project level. Individual projects live inside workstations. Same structure. Same logic. Scoped even tighter.

• The rules stack. When Claude writes an email about a client project, it reads root rules first, then the email workstation rules, then the project context. Every layer adds precision without you repeating yourself.

This is how you stop re-explaining your preferences in every conversation.

Build two or three workstations first. Get used to how the files interact. Add more when you need them, not before.