I should be charging $999 for this Claude Code Tutorial

Carl Vellotti reveals how to master Claude Code from zero to expert. He breaks down the exact context engineering frameworks, shows live demos of multi-agent systems, and shares his secret meme generator that powers 2.5 years of daily content. My Claude Code OS: https://www.news.aakashg.com/p/pm-os Full Writeup: https://www.news.aakashg.com/p/carl-vellotti-podcast Transcript: https://www.aakashg.com/cloud-code-tutorial-for-pm/ --- Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:46 - Why PMs should care about Claude Code 00:04:42 - Claude Code vs GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Lovable 00:13:23 - Ad 00:14:31 - Getting started: Installation and setup 00:19:36 - Terminal basics and first commands 00:24:19 - Searching the web with Claude Code 00:30:26 - Running code and using GitHub APIs 00:37:24 - The init command and CLAUDE file 00:40:35 - Creating PRDs with context engineering 00:52:18 - Building the knowledge base structure 00:56:53 - Custom slash commands 00:58:11 - Ad 00:59:12 - Plan Mode for complex tasks 01:15:22 - Where Claude is Best 01:24:33 - How Carl Growing on Instagram 01:29:24 - Agents Carl Using to Grow his Instagram 01:36:16 - Outro --- Thanks to our sponsor - Linear: Plan and build products like the best - https://linear.app/partners/aakash --- Key takeaways: 1. Interface is the Unlock: Traditional chat requires manual file uploads. Claude Code lives in terminal and automatically reads entire folder structures. This single change makes everything 10x faster. 2. Build Your Knowledge Base: Create four-folder structure: business-info.md, writing-styles/, examples/, meeting-transcripts/. One prompt references all context instantly without copy-paste. 3. The CLAUDE File System: Permanent project memory that persists across every session. Add rules once - "never commit without asking," "always use technical writing" - they never get lost in context windows. 4. Custom Slash Commands: Save best prompts as /meeting-notes or /prd-review. No more searching Twitter bookmarks for that prompt you saved 3 months ago. 5. Plan Mode Prevents Disasters: Press Shift+Tab before complex tasks. Claude creates full plan without executing. Review, catch mistakes, then approve. Saves hours of debugging. 6. Multi-Agent Parallelization: Spin up 3 UXR agents analyzing interviews simultaneously. Week of manual work becomes 1 hour. True parallel execution, not sequential. 7. Build Custom Agent Personalities: Designer agent, Engineer agent, Executive agent. All review PRDs in parallel. Pre-built database at subagents.cc. 8. The $37/Month Hack: Claude Pro $17 + Cursor $20 = $37 total. Use Claude Code for research/writing, Cursor for heavy coding. Best of both worlds vs $200 Claude Max. 9. Token Visibility Changes Behavior: Only interface showing real-time token usage and cost. Finally understand what "$1.50 per million tokens" actually means. 10. Context Engineering to Prompt Engineering: The PMs winning aren't the ones with fanciest prompts. They've mastered giving LLMs the right context through folder structures and permanent memory systems. --- Where to find Carl: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carlthepm/?hl=en LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlvellotti/ X: https://x.com/carlvellotti Newsletter: https://fullstack-pm.com/subscribe --- Where to find Aakash: Twitter: twitter.com/aakashg0 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/aagupta/ Newsletter: news.aakashg.com #claudecode #productmanagement #aitools --- About Product Growth: The world's largest podcast focused solely on product + growth, with over 187K listeners. Hosted by Aakash Gupta, who spent 16 years in PM, rising to VP of product, this 2x/week show covers product and growth topics in depth. Subscribe and turn on notifications to get more videos like this.

Aakash GuptahostCarl Vellottiguest

Oct 3, 20251h 37mWatch on YouTube ↗

WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT

Claude Code tutorial for PMs: workflows, agents, PRDs, automation wins

Claude Code’s key advantage is moving beyond chatbot prompting into a file-system-first workflow where it can read, write, and refactor real project artifacts (docs, transcripts, code) with minimal friction.
The episode demonstrates practical PM workflows—summarizing customer interviews, generating PRDs with business context and style guides, and converting meeting transcripts into structured action items—using folders as “context engineering.”
Claude Code differentiates from IDE-first tools (Cursor/Copilot/Lovable/Replit) by being more flexible for non-coding work, stronger at writing, and highly capable in the terminal with reliable tool use and task planning.
Advanced capabilities include Plan Mode (planning without editing), custom slash commands (saved prompts), sub-agents for parallel work and role-based reviews, and MCPs to add new tools like Reddit access.
The conversation closes with why Claude Code grew quickly (strong coding focus, writing quality, intent understanding) and a detour into Carl’s Instagram growth system, including an LLM-assisted meme creation tool (“Meme Mage”).

IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING

5 ideas

Claude Code’s real unlock is file-system-native context, not “better prompts.”

By working inside a project folder, Claude can discover, read, and modify relevant artifacts (interviews, meeting notes, specs, code) without constant copy/paste, making “context engineering” fast and repeatable.

Run `init` early to create a durable project memory (CLAUDE file).

The CLAUDE file becomes always-on guidance that Claude references every session (repo structure, setup instructions, rules like “never commit without asking”), reducing repeated setup and preventing common mistakes.

Use Plan Mode to avoid “manifestation hell” on complex tasks.

Plan Mode (Shift+Tab) prevents file edits while Claude proposes steps and outputs, letting you correct structure/format before execution—especially important when generating many files or running multi-step coding tasks.

Turn recurring PM workflows into slash commands for consistent structure.

Custom commands act like stored prompts (e.g., meeting notes format with action items/metrics/risks) so outputs match your team’s expectations and voice, reducing the “did you use ChatGPT?” vibe.

Sub-agents enable two different accelerators: parallelization and perspective diversity.

Claude can spawn multiple agents to analyze multiple inputs at once (three interviews in parallel) or to critique the same artifact from distinct roles (designer/engineer/executive), improving speed and coverage.

WORDS WORTH SAVING

5 quotes

It takes you out of the interface of just a chatbot, and it lets you build new workflows.

— Carl Vellotti

As we’ve moved from prompt engineering into… context engineering, what you can give the LLM to work with is so key.

— Carl Vellotti

The last thing that makes this really cool… is it can actually run code.

— Carl Vellotti

There’s a little dopamine burst as you see it work through [the checklist].

— Carl Vellotti

Have LLMs do the work that you hate, not the work that you love.

— Carl Vellotti

Terminal-based AI workflow (CLI)Context engineering via folders and filesInstallation and setup (native install)Web search, file search, and image analysisRunning code/scripts and GitHub/API usageinit command and CLAUDE memory filePRD generation with business context + writing stylesCustom slash commands (stored prompts)Plan Mode vs auto-executionSub-agents and parallelizationMCP tool integrations (e.g., Reddit)PM use cases: research, docs, prototyping, automationsHybrid stack: Claude Pro + Cursor modelsInstagram growth + LLM meme system (Meme Mage)

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