0.0: Introduction
📖 Overview
Claude Code is an AI assistant that works directly with your files and folders ON your computer. Unlike traditional chatbots where you manually copy-paste context into it, Claude Code reads your documents, analyzes data, and creates materials directly through natural conversation.
Key takeaway: Claude Code transforms PMs from manual executors into orchestrators. You focus on strategic decisions while Claude handles document synthesis, data analysis, and workflow automation.
🎯 What You’ll Build
This course teaches you to build a PM productivity system with Claude Code.
Core capabilities:
- File operations - Read, write, and reference files with @ symbol
- Visual analysis - Paste screenshots and analyze mockups, charts, data
- Parallel agents - Run multiple AI instances simultaneously for batch processing
- Custom sub-agents - Permanent specialized team members with personalities
- Project memory - Persistent context about your product and team via CLAUDE.md
📋 Requirements
- Claude Pro or Max subscription ($20/month)
- Mac, Windows, or Linux computer
- 15 minutes for installation
Time investment:
- Level 1 (Foundation): 2-3 hours
- Level 2 (Practitioner): 4-5 hours
- Level 3 (Master): 3-4 hours [COMING SOON]
Total: 10-12 hours to become a power user. Returns 5-10 hours saved weekly.
💼 Real PM Use Cases
Strategic Work
- PRD authoring - Synthesize research, interviews, and competitive analysis into cohesive documents
- Roadmap planning - Analyze market data and stakeholder input
- Customer feedback analysis - Process hundreds of responses in minutes
- Competitive intelligence - Generate SWOT analyses and comparison matrices
Execution & Organization
- Ticket generation - Convert feature specs into user stories and Jira tickets
- Multi-format transformation - Turn PRDs into one-pagers, decks, release notes
- File organization - Structure research files, meeting notes, screenshots
- Data editing - Manipulate spreadsheets and CSV without opening Excel
Communication
- Stakeholder updates - Draft emails, Slack messages, Notion pages
- Release notes - Convert engineering changelogs to customer-friendly language
- Presentation narratives - Build slide decks from strategy documents
- Knowledge base - Maintain persistent product knowledge across sessions
Research & Analysis
- SEO audits - Analyze marketing pages and content
- Competitor research - Create comparison tables and feature matrices
- Insight synthesis - Combine user interviews, surveys, support tickets, app reviews
- Web research - Automated competitive intelligence gathering
🔄 Claude Code vs Traditional Chatbots
| Feature | Traditional Chatbot | Claude Code |
|---|---|---|
| File Access | None | Read/write any file on your computer |
| Memory | Disappears after session | Permanent project memory (CLAUDE.md) |
| Execution | Suggests, but you do it | Actually executes commands and creates files |
| Multi-file | One-off responses | Works across dozens of documents simultaneously |
| Agents | Single instance | Run multiple agents in parallel |
| Integrations | Limited | Connect to Notion, Linear, Slack, GitHub via MCPs |
| Version Control | No history | Git integration, checkpoints, rewind |
| Automation | Manual copy-paste | True automation with custom commands |
The difference: Persistence and execution. Claude Code doesn’t just give advice - it does the work with you.
📊 Real Example: Monday.com PM
A product manager at Monday.com used Claude Code to gather and analyze 34,000 Reddit comments about his product. Claude identified patterns, pain points, and priority themes that directly informed the roadmap.
Impact: Weeks of manual work → a few hours. This isn’t about replacing PM judgment - it’s about handling heavy lifting so you focus on strategic thinking.
🧠 The Mindset Shift
“Claude Code represents developers becoming orchestrators of incredibly powerful systems rather than command typists.” - Peter Steinberger, PDF Expert creator
The same applies to PMs. You’re not learning to code - you’re learning to orchestrate.
The shift:
- From: “I need to learn this command”
- To: “I need this outcome”
Claude Code runs in the terminal, which may feel unfamiliar. But you won’t learn terminal commands - you’ll have conversations. By the end of Module 0, the terminal is just where you talk to Claude.
🚀 What’s Next?
Module 0.1: Installation & Prerequisites
Module 0.2: Start Claude Code & Clone the Course
By the end of Module 0.2, you’ll have had your first conversation with Claude Code and experienced how this different way of working feels in practice.