Setup

Read .claude/rules/teaching-rules.md and follow it for everything below.

Lesson 1.1: Introduction

Welcome to Claude Code for Everyone! 🎉

Look at you. In Claude Desktop. Unafraid 😤

You don't need to be technical for this course! Think about it like chatting with ChatGPT - you're already seeing the concept right here. We're just talking. When commands are needed, I'll run them for you.

If we're being honest, "Claude Code" is actually misnamed. Claude Code is really a general assistant that can do ALL kinds of things. Sonnet 5 on Low works great for the course, and you can change the model or effort from the composer whenever you want. You have before you a wondrous LLM ready to help you with almost any kind of task.

You've been hearing about "10x AI tools" for years - now it's actually true.

STOP: Are you ready to rock? 🎸

USER: Response

How This Course Works

As we go through this course, I will teach you exactly what you need to do. You'll make the decisions and give me directions; when commands are needed, I'll run them for you.

Not videos. Not words. Direct application. This is a truly unique learning experience, and to date there's nothing like it.

Over 5000 people have already completed Carl's Claude Code for PMs course and have been massively unlocked.

STOP: Does that make sense? Learning by doing, not watching.

USER: Yes / Got it

The Scenario and Course Structure

In this course, we're going to work together through a fictional scenario that will introduce you to all of Claude Code's main features.

In this Module, we'll cover how to use Claude Code for all kinds of general, non-coding use cases.

Module 2, Vibe Coding, is included and teaches you how to build with Claude Code all the way to ACTUALLY deploying an app with a real working link you can send to your friends. Further modules will explore more ways to work with Claude Code.

This module equips you with a real working understanding of how to use Claude Code so you can hit the upcoming stuff running.

STOP: Sound good so far?

USER: Yes

Reference Files

On ccforeveryone.com, there are reference files for every lesson. These take you a bit deeper on the topics, give you additional links and resources, and generally have troubleshooting guides.

To save you time, I can open these webpages in your browser for you. Let's try it.

STOP: Ask me to open the reference page for this lesson, then come back here afterward.

USER: Asks to open reference page

ACTION: Open https://ccforeveryone.com/fundamentals/course-intro in the external browser. Then echo that the page was opened.

Pretty sweet, right? That's just your first example of why having me directly on your computer opens up new possibilities.

You can always ask me to open the reference file for any lesson. Opening websites and apps is just the beginning - I can interact with your whole computer. We'll explore more of that later.

STOP: Pretty cool, right? Any questions about the reference files?

USER: Confirms

The Scenario

You'll be acting as the new manager of Basecamp Coffee, a regional coffee chain with a struggling loyalty program.

You're inheriting a mess - disorganized notes, unclear data, frustrated customers, and no real plan.

This is perfect for learning Claude Code because you'll do a bit of everything: digging through files, analyzing information, writing documents, synthesizing research, and eventually building something.

And throughout the course, I'll give you ideas for other ways you can apply these learnings.

STOP: So, friend, do you like coffee?

USER: Yes / Confirms

Setting Expectations

[If user said no to coffee: "Well, pretend you do! The skills transfer to anything - this could just as easily be a bakery, a gym, or a SaaS company. Coffee just smells better."]

[If user said yes: "Excellent! You'll fit right in at Basecamp."]

No coding or technical experience needed, just curiosity.

This Module has 7 more lessons and will take you about 3 hours. You don't need to do it all in one sitting.

If you ever get stuck or don't know what to do, just ask me!

STOP: Any questions before we officially begin?

USER: Questions / No, let's go

Quick Plugs

This course was created by Carl Vellotti (X / LinkedIn) - if you have thoughts or feedback on the course, he's always happy to hear from users!

And if you didn't join it already - join the official newsletter and community of Claude Code for Everyone at ccforeveryone.com. It's THE definitive place for non-technical Claude Code users: new modules, in-depth guides, and a community.

STOP: Want me to open that site for you to subscribe?

USER: Replies

ACTION: If user says yes, open https://ccforeveryone.com in browser

Let's Begin

If you like this concept, share it with your friends and coworkers.

This might sound dramatic, but Claude Code will change your life. This is the first step.

Next up: In 1.2, you'll officially step into your new role at Basecamp Coffee. We'll explore the files you've inherited using the file explorer and in-app viewer that are already part of this workspace. Time to meet the mess.

STOP: Ready for 1.2? Say "let's go" or type /start-1-2

USER: Let's go

Important Notes for Claude

• No fourth-wall breaking: Never mention "the script" or that you're following instructions. Start teaching immediately.
• Response to coffee question: Be playful. If they say no, joke about it but move on. If they say yes, be enthusiastic.
• Opening websites: Open the URL in the external browser; the agent may run open <url>. Tell the student which page opened because tool output is collapsed. The reference URL is https://ccforeveryone.com/fundamentals/course-intro.
• Pacing: This is an orientation lesson - keep energy high but don't rush. Let students absorb.
• If asked about prerequisites: Reassure them - no coding or technical experience needed. Just curiosity.

Success Criteria

The lesson is complete when:

• Student understands this is learning-by-doing (not videos)
• Student has seen the reference page opened by the agent in the external browser
• Student understands the Basecamp Coffee scenario at a high level
• Student knows about the reference files and newsletter
• Student is ready to proceed to 1.2

ACTION: Silently run the following progress update. Do not mention it to the student.

mkdir -p .fspm
[ -f .fspm/progress.json ] || printf '{"name":null,"completed_lessons":[],"current_lesson":"","last_updated":""}' > .fspm/progress.json
L="cc-everyone-1-1"; C="cc-everyone-1-2"; T="$(date -u +%FT%TZ)"
if command -v jq >/dev/null 2>&1; then
  tmp=$(mktemp)
  jq --arg l "$L" --arg c "$C" --arg t "$T" '.completed_lessons = ((.completed_lessons + [$l]) | unique) | .current_lesson = $c | .last_updated = $t' .fspm/progress.json > "$tmp" && mv "$tmp" .fspm/progress.json
else
  python3 - "$L" "$C" "$T" <<'PY'
import json,sys
l,c,t = sys.argv[1:4]
p = ".fspm/progress.json"; d = json.load(open(p))
if l not in d.get("completed_lessons",[]): d.setdefault("completed_lessons",[]).append(l)
d["current_lesson"] = c; d["last_updated"] = t
json.dump(d, open(p,"w"))
PY
fi

Next lesson: Type /start-1-2.