26 Claude rules I learned the hard way:

(so you don't have to)

1. The chat
☑ The longer your chat, the dumber Claude gets:
Every message reloads the entire conversation.
↳ Start fresh. Don't drag a 50-message thread.

2. The prompt
☑ A 500-word prompt isn't good. It's lazy:
If you can't explain in 30 words, Claude can't build it
"Make it better" is the worst prompt ever written.
↳ Short & specific beats long and vague.

3. The files
☑ Dumping 50 files makes Claude dumber:
Claude re-reads everything before every answer.
That's the expensive part - not the response.
↳ Give it 3 sharp files, not 50 messy ones.

4. The memory
☑ Claude doesn't remember last week:
No carryover. No "as we discussed."
↳ Context lives in your files, not Claude's head.

5. The setup
☑ The model selector matters more than prompts:
Adaptive thinking is off by default.
That's why your answers feel generic.
↳ Switch it on. Pick the right model. Then prompt.

6. The shift
☑ Most people quit Claude before they try Cowork:
The day you start uploading, everything changes.
Skills replace 80% of what you keep retyping.
↳ Stop typing into a chat. Start building a system.

I teach you how Claude works at claude101.com.

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