Claude Code

Why Claude Code Changes Everything#

I've used every AI coding tool. Copilot, Cursor, Windsurf, Cody. None of them come close to .

Here's why: Claude Code doesn't complete your lines. It understands your codebase. It reads your files, runs your tests, and makes decisions like a senior engineer would.

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Getting Started#

Install it globally:

npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

Then run it in any project directory:

claude

That's it. No config files, no API keys in your terminal, no setup wizard.

Tip

Run claude in your project root where your package.json or main config lives. Claude Code reads your project structure to understand context.

The CLAUDE.md File#

The most underrated feature. Create a CLAUDE.md in your project root:

# CLAUDE.md

## Project Overview
This is a Next.js 15 newsletter platform.

## Conventions
- Use shadcn/ui components
- Dark mode only
- TypeScript strict mode

Claude Code reads this file automatically and follows your conventions. It's like giving a new team member a perfect onboarding doc.

Subagents: Parallel Work#

This is where it gets powerful. Claude Code can spawn subagents — independent workers that handle tasks in parallel:

You: "Build the API endpoints and the frontend components"
Claude: *spawns backend-developer and frontend-developer agents*

Both agents work simultaneously. The backend agent writes API routes while the frontend agent builds React components.

Warning

Subagents run on Sonnet by default. Give them focused, self-contained tasks with clear success criteria. Don't ask a subagent to "figure out the architecture" — tell it exactly what files to create.