Module 1: Fundamentals1.1: Welcome

1.1: Welcome to TaskFlow

  • Time to Complete: 20 minutes
  • Prerequisites: Claude Code installed

Start this module in Claude Code: Run /start-1-1 to kick off the interactive experience.

▶️ Reminder on How to Get Started

⚠️ If you haven’t cloned the repository yet: Go back to Module 0.2: Start Claude Code & Clone the Course first. You’ll need the course files on your computer to continue.

There are two ways to launch this course in Claude Code:

Option One: Find it in the File Explorer

Navigate to your Documents folder and find the claude-code-pm-course folder. Then right-click and select “New Terminal at Folder”

It will look something like this:

Opening folder from file explorer

Then type claude and hit Enter

Option Two: Open it from the Terminal

Type these commands into your terminal:

cd ~/Documents/claude-code-pm-course
claude

This navigates to your course folder and opens Claude Code directly inside it.

Either way, you end up at the same place. Then, to start this module:

Start this module in Claude Code: Run /start-1-1 to kick off the interactive experience.

This is how you will start every module!

📖 Overview

This module introduces TaskFlow (your fictional company) and explains the course structure.

Key takeaway: This is a hands-on course where youll do real PM work using Claude Code.

🎓 How the Course Works

Two Parts

1. Interactive Modules (What youre doing now)

  • Complete modules using Claude Code
  • Each starts with a slash command: /start-1-1, /start-1-2, etc.
  • Claude guides you step-by-step through exercises
  • You actually DO the work (not just read about it)
  • Real PM tasks for TaskFlow

2. Reference Guides (What youre reading now)

  • Comprehensive standalone guides for each module
  • Can be read on the website without using Claude Code
  • Use them when you need deeper explanation
  • Great for review and reference later

Course Structure

  • Module 1: Fundamentals - Core concepts and workflows
  • Module 2: Advanced - Real PM work (PRDs, data analysis, strategy)

🏢 What is TaskFlow?

Company Overview

TaskFlow is a fictional project management SaaS company created for this course. Think Asana meets Jira, built for remote-first teams.

Company Details:

  • Founded: 2021
  • Stage: Series B startup
  • Funding: $20M raised
  • Team size: 50 employees (15 engineering, 5 product, 10 design, 20 GTM)
  • Metrics: $2.5M ARR, 10,000 active users, growing fast

Your Role: Senior Product Manager

  • You own activation & onboarding
  • Report to CEO (Sarah Chen)
  • Work closely with CTO (Mike Rodriguez) and Head of Design (Alex Kim)

Mission: Empower remote teams to collaborate seamlessly

Product: Project management tool combining task management, team collaboration, and async-first features for remote teams

Key differentiators: Simpler than Asana, more cross-functional than Linear, built for async work

👥 User Personas

  • Sarah - Enterprise Admin: IT lead at large company focused on security, compliance, and cost control

  • Mike - IC Engineer: Software engineer focused on fast tools, GitHub integration, and minimal distractions

  • Alex - Team Lead: Engineering manager focused on team visibility, workload balancing, and progress tracking

📂 Course File Structure

When youre working in the TaskFlow course, heres what youll find:

claude-code-pm-course/
├── company-context/
│   ├── COMPANY.md - Company overview and your role
│   ├── PRODUCT.md - What TaskFlow does
│   ├── PERSONAS.md - The 3 user personas
│   └── COMPETITIVE.md - Competitive landscape
├── lesson-modules/
│   ├── 1.1-welcome/ - Where you are now!
│   │   ├── CLAUDE.md (teaching script for Claude)
│   │   └── REFERENCE_GUIDE.md (this file)
│   ├── 1.2-visualizing-files/
│   ├── 1.3-reading-files/
│   └── [more modules...]
├── your-work/
│   └── [files youll create during exercises]
└── CLAUDE.md - Project memory (visible in Obsidian)

Note: The .claude/ folder (for commands, agents, settings) exists but is hidden. Youll work with it in later modules.

⏱️ Time Commitment

Per Module: 15-30 minutes Per Level: 2-4 hours Full Course: 20-30 hours

But: You can go at your own pace!

  • Do one module at a time
  • Take breaks between levels
  • Come back anytime (progress is saved)

What You Will See

Throughout the course, youll see Claude running commands like:

⏺ Read(company-context/COMPANY.md)
  ⎿  Read 45 lines

⏺ Bash(ls -la company-context/)
  ⎿  Listed 4 files

Dont worry about understanding those! Theyre Claude working behind the scenes. You just focus on the PM work.

Permission Prompts

Occasionally, youll see prompts asking: Do you want to allow this command?

Just click: Yes and dont ask again

This lets Claude work smoothly without asking permission every time.

📋 Best Practices

Do:

  • Complete modules in order
  • Actually do the exercises
  • Take breaks when needed

Don’t:

  • Skip modules
  • Rush through
  • Get frustrated with yourself

❓ Common Questions

Do I need to install anything? Just Obsidian (Module 1.2), which is free.

Can I skip modules? Not recommended. Each module builds on previous ones.

How long does the full course take? 15-25 hours total, at your own pace.

Is this for non-technical PMs? YES! No coding required.

Can I use this for real work? Absolutely. After Module 1, you can apply these patterns to your actual PM work.

✨ You’re Ready!

You now understand:

  • TaskFlow (the company)
  • The 3 user personas
  • Course structure
  • What to expect

Welcome to the course! 🚀

About This Course

Created by Carl Vellotti. If you have any feedback about this module or the course overall, message me! I’m building a newsletter and community for PM builders, check out The Full Stack PM.

Source Repository: github.com/carlvellotti/claude-code-pm-course

0.2: Start & Clone1.2: Visualizing Files