How to climb all 4 layers of Claude in one weekend:

(even if you just signed up yesterday)

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✦ Level 1: Claude Chat (Saturday morning)

Go to claude .com/download. Install the app.

Pay the $20. Select Opus 4.6 + Extended Thinking.

Connect Slack, Drive, Notion through Connectors.

Stop writing long prompts. Prompt this instead:

I want to [TASK] for [SUCCESS CRITERIA]. Use AskUserQuestion before you start.

Most people stay here forever.

You're leaving 90% of Claude untouched.

Claude Basics: how-to-claude.ai.

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✦ Level 2: Claude Cowork (Saturday afternoon)

Go to 'Cowork'. Create a folder "Claude-Cowork."

4 subfolders. About me, template, project & outputs

Create about-me .md: what you do, how you do.

Create anti-ai-style .md: words you'd never say.

Set Global Instructions (Settings → Cowork → Edit):

Always read my files first, never edit my originals, deliver everything to CLAUDE OUTPUTS.

You just killed prompting.

From now on, your prompt is 2 lines + your folder.

Move on to Cowork: claude-co.work

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✦ Level 3: Skills + Plugins (Sunday morning)

Open Cowork. Type:

Use the skill-creator to help me build a skill for [your most repeated task].

Claude interviews you. Answer and be specific.

It generates a SKILL .md. Test it:

When would you use this skill?

If the description is vague, fix it.

Upload: Settings → Capabilities → Skills → Upload.

Now it fires automatically. No slash command.

Install Plugins: Cowork > Customize > Browse plugin

Skills with about-me .md. Skill handles the process.

Voice file handles tone. Two layers simultaneously.

Set up Claude Skills: ruben.substack.com/p/cl…

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✦ Level 4: Code + Computer (Sunday afternoon)

Click the Code tab. Create a folder. Connect GitHub

(free account → Settings → Connectors).

Prompt:

Create a GitHub repo named [project]. Code everything. Don't ask for permissions.

Download VS Code. Install the Claude extension.

Turn on "Skip Permissions" to go 100x faster.

After your session, paste this: "Create a CLAUDE .md file with everything you learned about this project." Now Claude remembers your fonts, colors, and structure forever.

Claude code guide: ruben.substack.com/p/cl…

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Claude Computer: Settings → Desktop app → turn on Browser use + Computer use.

Connect your phone with Dispatch. Text a task.

Schedule a recurring task: left sidebar → Scheduled → write the prompt → pick the frequency.

Claude Computer: ruben.substack.com/p/cl…

This is where you stop working inside Claude.

Claude starts working on your computer.

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Saturday, you were prompting like it's ChatGPT.

Sunday, Claude is running your screen, building your website, & sending you text updates.

That's all 4 layers. In one weekend.