New to all of this? Start with setup on the hub: a terminal, then install and sign in to Claude Code. It takes a few minutes, once.
1.Sources into a brief
Open your terminal, type claude, and paste this.
I am going to paste several sources. Read them and give me a one-page brief that answers this question: [your question here]. Cite which source each claim comes from, and flag anything the sources disagree on.
A sourced brief, not a guess. Every claim points back to where it came from.
2.More to try
Make a finding land
Read draft-sample.txt as if it were a finding for a non-expert reader. Rewrite it so a smart person with no background gets it in one read, without dumbing it down. Keep the caveats.
Scope before you dig
I need to research [topic]. Before searching, ask me three questions to scope it, then lay out the five sources or angles you would check and why.
Stress-test the conclusion
Here is my conclusion and the evidence for it. Argue the strongest case that I am wrong, then tell me what single piece of evidence would settle it.
3.Make it yours
Out of the box, Claude Code is a brilliant stranger. The kit turns it into one that knows you. Three moves do almost all of it, and the kit installs all three already filled in:
- Commands you type, like
/draft-kickoffand/sharpen. The kit ships six. - Skills it follows forever once taught, like writing in your voice.
- Memory, a plain text file it reads every time, so you never re-explain who you are.
Every kit also ships /coach: a board of ten legendary coaches who debate a hard people decision and hand you one call. It is the fastest way to feel what a custom command can do.
4.Your challenge
Pick whatever is annoying you right now. You do not have to go in order.
- Turn a stack of sources into a one-page brief with citations
- Rewrite a finding so a non-expert gets it in one read
- Pressure-test a conclusion before you put your name on it
- Get a sourced answer to a question instead of vibes
- Build a skill for the brief format you use every time
5.Grow into it: free and open tools
When you want more, these three are free and open. Nothing to pay for, nothing that locks your work inside a service you would have to pay to leave. Claude teaches you each one, one step at a time.
Obsidian, a calm home for your notes
I'd like to start using Obsidian for my notes. It's free and keeps everything as plain text files on my own computer. Walk me through installing it and pointing it at my notes folder, one step at a time, in plain English.
A little Python, to let the computer do the boring part
Teach me a tiny bit of Python by solving a real problem of mine. I have a folder of PDFs and I want one number from each in a single spreadsheet. Write the code, explain each part in plain English, and walk me through running it.
Playwright, to have Claude drive the browser
I do the same thing on a website every week. Help me use Playwright, a free open-source tool, so Claude can do it for me. Ask what the site is and what steps I take, then set it up one step at a time.
6.Get your kit
The Claude Code Kit for Researchers installs six commands, two skills, an AI memory file, and a guide that walks you through everything (about a minute). It is free, plain text, and yours to edit.
Download the Claude Code Kit for Researchers
Different kind of work? Claude Code Starter Kit · Claude Code Kit for Founders · Claude Code Kit for Writers