
Claude Code doesn't make you faster.
Directing it does.
Most developers open Claude Code and start typing prompts like it's ChatGPT.
Then they wonder why the output is mid.
Here are 8 things I wish I knew on day one:
𝗖𝗟𝗔𝗨𝗗𝗘.𝗺𝗱
Your project rules file. Claude reads it before every task. Keep it short, specific, and actionable. A 300-line novel gets ignored.
𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲
"Plan how you'd implement X. Don't write code yet." Review the plan. Correct the approach. Then say "implement it." Two steps beat one bad generation.
𝗧𝗗𝗗 𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗽
Write a failing test. Hand it to Claude. Let it implement until green. Tests are your spec. Claude can't misinterpret a red test.
𝗚𝗶𝘁 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘀
One worktree per feature. Run separate Claude sessions on separate branches at the same time. No stashing. No branch switching. Parallel by default.
/𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁
Compresses your conversation history to free up the context window. Use it before Claude gets sluggish. One mega-session for everything kills output quality.
/𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁
Shows token usage and cost for the current session. Check after big tasks. If you never look at this, you're flying blind on spend.
𝗦𝘂𝗯𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀
Spawn background agents that work in parallel. Code review while you implement. Research while you refactor. Stop doing everything sequentially.
𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀
Reusable prompt templates your team shares. Define code review standards, deployment checklists, or migration patterns as markdown files. No more "every dev prompts differently."
Claude Code is powerful. But power without direction is just expensive token burn.
I put together a free visual guide on building software with AI agents.
Grab it here 👇
theagenticdeveloper.substack.com

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