The Claude Code Starter Kit
Master
Claude Code
in 7 Days
The exact files, folder structure, and day-by-day schedule I use to run my entire content business on Claude Code. Copy everything.
The carousel gave you the 10 steps. This post gives you the actual tools to walk them.
No fluff. No "here's what you should do." Just the exact files, templates, and schedule that took me from winging every Claude session to running a full content system that produces first drafts I barely edit.
Set this up once. Never think about it again. Every Claude session pulls from this structure automatically.
📁 Claude-Work/
— your root folder
├──
📁 context/
Claude reads this first, every session
│ ├──
about-me.md
who you are, your priorities
│ ├──
anti-ai-style.md
phrases Claude must never use
│ └──
brand-rules.md
tone, audience, voice rules
├──
📁 base-repo/
your reusable knowledge bank
│ ├──
best-posts.md
top-performing content as templates
│ └──
frameworks.md
recurring structures you use
├──
📁 skills/
reusable task instruction files
│ ├──
carousel.md
│ ├──
newsletter.md
│ └──
ideation.md
├──
📁 projects/
one subfolder per live project
├──
📁 outputs/
the ONLY folder Claude writes to
└──
CLAUDE.md
master instruction file — Claude reads this before everything
Why /outputs only? If Claude can write anywhere, it will. Locking writes to one folder means you always know what it touched — and you never lose an original file to an overwrite.
Claude reads this file before every single task. It's your master briefing document. Copy this, fill in your details, drop it in the root of your Claude-Work folder.
CLAUDE.md
# Identity
Name: [Your Name]
Brand: [Your Brand Name]
Handle: [@yourhandle]
Focus: [What you create / your niche]
Audience: [Who you create for — be specific]
# Current Priorities
- [Top goal this month]
- [Secondary goal]
- [Ongoing project]
# My Voice
- Direct and punchy — no throat-clearing
- Short sentences. Conversational.
- I use real numbers and specific details
- Never use em-dashes, never use "dive in" or "delve"
- Write like I'm texting a smart friend, not presenting
# Rules for Every Task
- Read /context/about-me.md before starting
- Read /context/anti-ai-style.md before writing anything
- Only write files to /outputs — never overwrite originals
- Ask one clarifying question if the brief is ambiguous
- Never pad. Never summarise back to me. Just do the work.
# Platform Context
- Primary: Instagram carousels (@[handle])
- Newsletter: Beehiiv — paired with every carousel
- CTA mechanic: ManyChat DM keyword automation
- Tone varies: Instagram = punchy, newsletter = more depth
Key rule: Keep your CLAUDE.md under 400 words. The longer it gets, the less Claude weights any individual instruction. Be ruthless — only include what actually changes the output.
This is the file nobody talks about. Copy this into /context/anti-ai-style.md and watch Claude's output change immediately.
anti-ai-style.md
# Phrases to NEVER use
- delve / dive into / dig into
- it's worth noting / it's important to note
- straightforward / seamlessly / groundbreaking
- leverage (as a verb)
- in today's [fast-paced/digital/ever-changing] world
- at the end of the day
- game-changer / game-changing
- em-dashes (—) in any form
- "Let's explore..." or "Let's dive..."
- Rhetorical questions as section openers
# Formatting rules
- No bullet walls — max 4 bullets per section
- No bold words in the middle of sentences to "highlight"
- No filler intros like "Great question!" or "Certainly!"
- Lead with the point. Never build up to it.
- Short paragraphs. 2-3 sentences max.
# Tone rules
- Write like I'm talking, not presenting
- Use "you" and "I" — never "one" or "we" unless it's a team context
- Specific over vague: "293K views" not "strong performance"
- If you're unsure whether to include a sentence, cut it
Skills are reusable instruction sets for recurring tasks. You write the skill once — Claude runs it on demand. Start with these three.
Content
carousel.md
Builds 8-slide carousel copy from a single topic brief
Newsletter
newsletter.md
Writes your full Beehiiv post using the carousel draft as input
Ideation
ideation.md
Generates 10 scored topic ideas using your niche and best-post data
Repurpose
remix.md
Turns one piece of content into 5 different platform formats
Each skill file follows the same structure:
skills/carousel.md
# Skill: Carousel Builder
## Purpose
Build a complete 8-slide Instagram carousel using the
Mike Means Business demand-creation framework.
## Read First
- /context/about-me.md
- /context/anti-ai-style.md
- /base-repo/best-posts.md (reference top performers)
## Input Required
- Topic: [what the carousel covers]
- CTA keyword: [the comment trigger word]
- Angle: [hook type — mistake, list, shock, etc.]
## Output Structure
Slide 1: Hook (stop scroll — "Stop doing X" format)
Slide 2: Second hook (independent re-entry point)
Slide 3: False problem (what they think is wrong)
Slide 4: Belief shift (challenge the assumption)
Slide 5: Real problem (the truth bomb)
Slide 6-7: The gaps (tease the solution, don't give it all)
Slide 8: CTA (comment [keyword] for [offer])
## Rules
- Each slide: max 40 words
- Never give away the full method
- One idea per slide, no exceptions
- Write output to /outputs/carousel-draft.md
Don't try to set everything up in one sitting. This is the order that actually works:
| Day |
Task |
Time |
| Day 1 |
Install + verify — Claude Code running, authenticated, confirmed with claude command |
20 min |
| Day 2 |
Build your folder structure — create all folders, leave files blank for now |
15 min |
| Day 3 |
Write CLAUDE.md + about-me.md — this is the highest leverage hour you'll spend |
45 min |
| Day 4 |
Build anti-ai-style.md — use the template above, add your own banned phrases |
20 min |
| Day 5 |
Create your carousel.md skill — run it on a real topic, review the output |
30 min |
| Day 6 |
Build your BASE repo — add 3 of your best posts as reference templates |
30 min |
| Day 7 |
Run your first full agentic session — brief → skill → output → edit → done |
60 min |
The test: By day 7 you should be able to type one sentence into Claude Code and get a full carousel draft that sounds like you, with no re-explaining of who you are or what you do. If you can't — your CLAUDE.md needs more work, not your prompts.
Want to go deeper?
The full setup is
already live.
Follow the carousel series on Instagram for step-by-step breakdowns of CARL, BASE repos, skill files, and agentic workflows — each one its own deep dive.
Follow on Instagram
@mikemeansbusiness_ai