How to set up Claude Cowork completely in 1 day:

(Save this. Never explain yourself to Claude again)

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Step 1: The folder.

Create a folder on the computer: "Claude Cowork."

3 subfolders: ABOUT ME. OUTPUTS. TEMPLATES.

To download mine, go here: how-to-ai.guide.

Don't pay anything. It's free in the welcome email.

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Step 2: The brain file.

Open Cowork. Ask it to interview you. 20 questions.

Don't type. Use Wispr .ai to be faster.

Cowork compiles everything into about-me .md.

Strictly keep it under 2,000 tokens.

Copy the interview prompt here: claude-co.work

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Step 3: The taste file.

Create anti-ai-writing-style .md.

Ban the words you hate. Mine bans 80+.

Without this file, Claude writes like Claude.

With it, Claude writes like you.

Download the anti-ai file directly: how-to-ai.guide.

It's free in the email, if you click on Notion link.

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Step 4: The strategy file.

Create my-company .md. Your targets & platforms.

What you're saying no to. Not your deadlines.

Under 1,000 tokens. Update it once a quarter.

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Step 5: Global instructions.

Go to Settings > Cowork > Edit Global Instructions.

Now Cowork knows you before you say a word.

Every. Single. Session.

Paste one rule:

Read every file in ABOUT ME/ before every task.

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Step 6: Save tokens.

Don't send follow-ups. Restart your prompts.

Message 30 costs 31x more than message 1.

Start fresh every 20 messages.

Use Sonnet for quick work. Save Opus for deep one.

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Full setup breakdown: ruben.substack.com/p/cl…