Module 01 — Getting Started
Time estimate: 2 hours total
Prerequisite: None — start here
What you’ll be able to do after Module 01
Section titled “What you’ll be able to do after Module 01”- Install Claude Code on your laptop (Mac, Windows or Linux)
- Run your first session and prompt Claude effectively
- Configure a
CLAUDE.mdfile so Claude behaves the way you want in any project - Understand exactly what Claude Code can and cannot do, and how to control it
Why this module exists
Section titled “Why this module exists”Most AI tutorials skip the boring installation parts because the writers assume their audience is already comfortable with a terminal. That’s the wrong assumption for executives.
So we go slow here. By the end of Module 01 you will have a working setup, run a real prompt, and shipped your first piece of code. That confidence is the foundation for everything in Modules 02-06.
Your first executive build
Section titled “Your first executive build”The exercise at the end of this module is not “build a todo app.” It’s this:
Open Claude Code in a new folder. Type one prompt. Build a single-file dashboard that takes a CSV of your team’s weekly KPIs (you’ll create a fake one to start) and shows: weekly trend lines per KPI, a “needs attention” flag for anything below target and an export-to-PDF button for your Monday status email.
If your prompt is good, the entire dashboard ships in under three minutes. Open it in a browser. Done.
That’s the dial you’re calibrating in this module: how to translate “thing I need” into “prompt that produces it.”
Lessons in this module
Section titled “Lessons in this module”- Installation — Get Node.js, Claude Code and your API key working
- Your first session — Start Claude Code, run your first prompt, understand what happens
- The CLAUDE.md file — Persistent project-level configuration
- Permissions and safety — What Claude can do, what it can’t, and how to control it