Getting Started

You installed Claude Code. Now what? This guide covers the setup that makes Claude Code actually powerful.

The Basics You Need

1. Essential CLIs

Claude Code works best when it can use real tools:

# On macOS with Homebrew
brew install gh jq node

# Authenticate GitHub
gh auth login

Why these matter: gh lets Claude create repos and PRs directly. jq parses JSON. node runs JavaScript.

2. A Deployment Target

Claude shines when it can deploy what it builds:

# Vercel (recommended)
npm install -g vercel
vercel login

Now you can say "deploy this" and watch it happen.

3. Your First CLAUDE.md

Create a file that tells Claude how to work with you:

# Create global preferences
mkdir -p ~/.claude
touch ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md

Start simple:

# My Preferences

## Style
- Be concise
- No emojis unless I ask

## Project Defaults
- Deploy to Vercel with `vercel --prod`
- Use TypeScript when possible

## Things to Remember
- My GitHub username is: YOUR_USERNAME

The Secret to Secrets

Option 1: Environment Variables (Quick)

# Add to ~/.zshrc
export OPENAI_API_KEY="sk-..."

Then restart your terminal. Claude can use $OPENAI_API_KEY without seeing the value.

Option 2: secret-lover (Recommended)

Store secrets in macOS Keychain with Touch ID protection:

# Install
curl -sL https://secret-lover.dev/install.sh | bash

# Add a secret
secret-lover add OPENAI_API_KEY

# Run with secrets injected
secret-lover run -- npm run dev

Workflow Patterns

The Vibe Coding Flow

1. Start loose: "I want to build X"
2. Iterate fast: "try again", "no, more like Y"
3. Deploy early: "push to vercel"
4. Refine live: "the button doesn't work on mobile"

Context Management

• /compact - Summarize and compress at ~75% context
• /clear - Fresh start when switching projects
• Be specific: "look at src/components/Header.tsx"

The Terse Prompt Style

Once Claude understands your project, you can be brief:

"vercel"      # deploys to Vercel
"push it"     # git push
"try again"   # retry last failed thing
"mobile"      # fix mobile responsiveness
"darker"      # adjust colors

Your First Real Project

Try this sequence:

1. "create a simple landing page for [your idea]"
2. "deploy it to vercel"
3. "add a contact form"
4. "make it look more professional"
5. "add dark mode"

You'll have a deployed website in minutes.

The Most Important Thing

Claude Code isn't about typing less. It's about thinking at a higher level.

Instead of: "Write a function that validates email addresses"

Try: "I need user signup - handle validation, error states, and success feedback"

Let Claude figure out the implementation. You focus on what you're building.