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How to Be in the Top 1% of AI Users

The full setup + the 6 levels that separate beginners from power users.

You watched the reel. Now here's everything — the full setup walkthrough and the 6 levels that take you from "I just installed this" to the top 1%.

Most people stop at Level 1. By the time you finish this guide, you'll be at Level 4 minimum. The top 1% live at Level 6.

SETUP GUIDE

Install Claude Code in 10 Minutes

Follow these steps exactly. Screenshots not needed — it's that simple.

1

Create your Claude account

Go to claude.ai and sign up. You can use Google, email, or Apple to create your account.

Claude Code requires a paid plan. You need Claude Pro ($20/mo) or Claude Max ($100/mo or $200/mo). Go to Settings → Subscription and choose your plan. Pro works to get started. Max gives you significantly more usage.

2

Download VS Code

Go to code.visualstudio.com and download the version for your system (Mac, Windows, or Linux).

Install it and open it. That's it. You need version 1.98.0 or newer — if you're downloading fresh today, you're fine.

3

Install the Claude Code extension

Inside VS Code:

→ Press Cmd+Shift+X on Mac or Ctrl+Shift+X on Windows
→ This opens the Extensions panel
→ Type "Claude Code" in the search bar
→ Find the one published by Anthropic (2M+ installs, verified publisher)
→ Click Install

Or install directly from the marketplace: VS Code Marketplace → Claude Code

4

Connect your Claude account

→ Click the Spark icon ✦ that appears in your left sidebar
→ Claude Code will open a panel and ask you to sign in
→ Click "Sign in with Claude"
→ Your browser opens → log in with your Claude account
→ Approve the connection
→ VS Code confirms you're connected

5

Start talking to Claude Code

You're in. Type in the chat panel just like the web UI. The difference: Claude Code can now see your files, run commands, and edit code directly.

Try typing: "What can you do?" and Claude will show you everything it's capable of.

Troubleshooting

Extension not showing? Restart VS Code or run "Developer: Reload Window" from the Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P → type "reload"). Make sure you installed the one by Anthropic, not a third-party clone.

The 6 Levels to the Top 1%

Most people stop at Level 1. Don't be most people.

LEVEL 1

Your First Session

You are here.

You can talk to Claude Code like the web UI. But now Claude can also see your files, run commands, and edit code directly. It's not just answering — it's doing.

Try these in your first session:

      → "Read this folder and explain what this project does"

      → "Find any bugs in this file and fix them"

      → "Create a new Python script that does [thing]"

      → "Run this and show me the output"

Claude Code reads, writes, and executes. Most people never get past asking questions.

LEVEL 2

Give Claude Your Memory

This is where 95% of users drop off.

Most people use Claude Code like a stranger every session. No context. No memory. Generic output every time. The fix takes 10 minutes.

Create a CLAUDE.md file at the root of your project. Claude reads it before every session. Everything you put here — your name, your business, your rules — Claude remembers automatically.

CLAUDE.md

        # About Me

        Name: [your name]

        Business: [what you do]

        Audience: [who you build for]

        # My Voice

        Tone: [how you write]

        Never: [what to avoid]

        # Preferences

        Stack: [languages, tools]

        Rules: [your coding/writing standards]

        Current project: [what you're working on]

        // Claude reads this before every session.

        // You never re-explain yourself again.

Quick way to create one: type /init in Claude Code and it generates a starter CLAUDE.md for you. Then edit it with your details. More on CLAUDE.md: Anthropic docs.

LEVEL 3

Think in Projects, Not Prompts

The top 1% don't open Claude Code and type one prompt. They work in projects.

A project is a folder with your code, your CLAUDE.md, and optionally your domain rules. Open Claude Code inside a project folder and Claude automatically loads everything.

~/content-business/ → Claude knows your brand, audience, frameworks
~/my-saas-app/ → Claude knows your stack, conventions, tests
~/research/ → Claude knows your sources, analysis format, standards

Switch folders and Claude switches context. No re-explaining. No "act like a..." prompts.

LEVEL 4

Commands That Change Everything

Most users type natural language and stop there. The top 1% know these commands:

essential-commands.sh

        /init    Creates a CLAUDE.md starter file

        /cost    Shows tokens used this session

        /clear   Resets conversation, keeps CLAUDE.md

        /compact Summarises conversation to free space

        /doctor Diagnoses setup issues

        // And the big one most people miss:

        claude --resume

        // Picks up your last session exactly where

        // you left off. No lost context. No restart.

/compact is critical for long sessions. When Claude starts forgetting earlier context, run this — it summarises the conversation and frees up space without losing the thread.

LEVEL 5

The Workflows Nobody Talks About

Once your setup is solid, these workflows put you in a different category:

Multi-file editing

"Refactor this function and update every file that imports it." Claude traces dependencies and updates everything.

Test-driven development

"Write tests for this function, then make them pass." Claude writes tests, runs them, sees them fail, writes the code, runs them again.

Git workflow

"Review my staged changes and write a commit message." Claude reads the diff and writes a message that actually describes the work.

Research → Build

"Research the best way to implement [feature], then build it." Claude searches, plans, and implements in one flow.

Debug loop

"This test is failing. Find the bug and fix it." Claude reads the error, traces the code, finds the root cause, fixes it, re-runs the test to confirm.

LEVEL 6 — THE 1%

The Context Stack

The real power users layer their context. This is what separates you from everyone else:

context-stack.sh

        Layer 1: CLAUDE.md

          → Brand memory (who you are, how you work)

        Layer 2: Project files

          → Code context (Claude sees your folder)

        Layer 3: Conversation history

          → Session memory (what you've discussed)

        Layer 4: --resume

          → Persistence (pick up between sessions)

When all four layers are active, Claude Code isn't a chatbot. It's a colleague who knows your project, remembers yesterday's conversation, follows your rules, and can actually do the work.

That's the 1%. Not the person with the best prompts. The person who set up their environment so Claude has full context every time they open it.

Your 48-Hour Checklist

Hour 1: Install Claude Code (you've done this)
Hour 2: Create your CLAUDE.md file
Hour 3: Run 5 real tasks in a project folder
Day 2: Learn /compact, /clear, and --resume
Week 1: Set up 2-3 project folders with specific CLAUDE.md files

Do this and you'll use Claude Code better than 99% of people who've had it for months.

Coming next

The CLAUDE.md template that powers my entire content business

Every rule. Every framework. Every preference.
Ready to copy into your own setup.

Follow @mikemeansbusiness_ai

Reply with what level you're at right now. I'll point you to the right guide next.

— Mike

✦ Mike Means Business · @mikemeansbusiness_ai

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