Your First 20 Minutes with Claude Code
You don't need to be technical. You just need to be curious.
What is Claude Code?
Claude Code is a command-line AI assistant that lives in your terminal. Think of it as a brilliant colleague who can read your files, write code, search the web, and execute tasks — all through a conversation.
You're probably thinking: “I'm a PM, not an engineer. Why would I use the terminal?”
Because Claude Code lets you do things that used to require engineering support: generate documents, automate workflows, build prototypes, and analyze data — all by describing what you want in plain English. This module gets you from “never opened a terminal” to “having a productive conversation with Claude Code” in 20 minutes.
Claude Code vs Other AI Tools
The key difference: Claude.ai and ChatGPT are chat tools. Claude Code is a work tool.
Works with your files
Claude Code
Yes — reads & writes directly
Claude.ai / ChatGPT
Upload only
Runs commands
Claude Code
Yes — executes on your machine
Claude.ai / ChatGPT
No
Connects to tools (MCP)
Claude Code
Yes — Google Docs, Jira, etc.
Claude.ai / ChatGPT
Limited / No
Remembers project context
Claude Code
Per project folder
Claude.ai / ChatGPT
Per conversation
Best for PMs when...
Claude Code
Workflows & automation
Claude.ai / ChatGPT
Quick questions
Install Claude Code
Prerequisites
- An Anthropic account — sign up at console.anthropic.com
- A Claude Pro, Team, or Enterprise plan (~$20/month)
Mac / Windows / Linux
Open your terminal and run:
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
Don't have npm? Install Node.js first from nodejs.org (pick the LTS version), then run the command above.
Verify it worked
claude --version
You should see a version number. If you do, you're ready.
Terminal Basics for PMs
The terminal is just a text-based way to talk to your computer. Instead of clicking folders, you type commands. 5 commands — that's all you need.
pwd
Shows where you are
/Users/you/Documents
ls
Lists files in current folder
shows all files
cd
Changes folder
cd Documents
cd ..
Goes up one folder
moves back one level
mkdir
Creates a new folder
mkdir my-project
Quick Practice
Open your terminal and try these commands in order:
pwd ls mkdir claude-test cd claude-test pwd
You just created a folder and navigated into it. That's all the terminal knowledge you need.
Your First Conversation
Navigate to any project folder (or the one you just created) and start Claude Code:
claude
Try these starter prompts
Ask a simple question
What files are in this folder?
Create something
Create a markdown file called meeting-notes.md with a template for weekly product team meetings. Include sections for attendees, agenda, decisions, and action items.
Analyze a file
@meeting-notes.md Improve this template. Add sections that senior PMs typically include but juniors forget.
Notice the @ symbol? That's how you point Claude Code at specific files. It reads the file and uses it as context.
What just happened?
Claude Code didn't just suggest text in a chat bubble. It actually:
- 1Read the files on your computer
- 2Created or modified real files
- 3Used your project context to give better answers
This is the fundamental difference from ChatGPT or Claude.ai.
Key Concepts
Four ideas that unlock everything else in Claude Code.
@-Mentions
Point Claude at specific files by typing @filename. Claude reads the file and uses it as context for better answers.
Tools
Claude Code can read files, write files, run commands, search the web, and connect to external services. These capabilities are called tools.
MCP Servers
MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers are like plugins. They extend Claude Code to connect to Google Docs, Jira, databases, and more.
Project Memory
Claude Code remembers context within a project folder. Start it in the same folder and it picks up where you left off.
Troubleshooting
"command not found: claude"
Node.js isn't in your PATH, or the install didn't complete. Try running npx @anthropic-ai/claude-code as an alternative.
"command not found: npm"
Install Node.js from nodejs.org first, then retry the install command.
Claude Code starts but feels slow
First-time startup takes a few seconds to initialize. Subsequent starts are much faster.
"authentication error" or "API key" message
Run claude and follow the login prompts. You'll need your Anthropic account credentials.
You're Ready
You now know what Claude Code is, how to install it, the 5 terminal commands you need, how to have your first conversation, and what @-mentions, tools, and MCP servers are.
Next Up
Module 1: PRD Generator
Generate your first production-ready PRD in 30 minutes.