60 minutes to lock in your Claude Cowork setup, understand vibe coding, research your top 5 competitors, hunt design inspiration, and lock a Foundation Doc that guides the next 10 days. This kit stays open on your laptop during the session — 6 prompts, click COPY, paste into Claude Cowork.
The mindset shift · read this before you touch a keyboard
01
Describe outcomes · not code
Instead of "write a function that…" say "when a user clicks the login button, I want [X to happen]." The AI translates intent to code. You stay in product thinking mode.
02
Iterate in tight loops
Build one small thing · test it · adjust. Not "generate the whole app." Ship every 15-20 minutes. If something takes over an hour, you're doing it wrong — go smaller.
03
Trust · but verify
The AI will confidently write wrong code. Always run it. Always read it. If you can't read what it wrote, ask it to explain the code in plain English. Then it'll make sense.
04
Give context generously
Paste your positioning · target user · existing code · what you already tried. The more context, the better the output. Never say "write a login page" — say "for MY app that does X for Y, write a login page that…"
05
Ship · don't polish
Working > pretty. Deployed > local. Ugly-but-live > beautiful-but-in-dev. You'll iterate to polished in the last 3 days. First 7 days = ship rough, ship often.
03
Setup · 15 min · 6 things done
Click each as you finish
04
The 6 prompts · run in order
Copy → paste in Claude Cowork → paste output into your project doc
P01⏱ 5 min · run first · in Claude Cowork · then paste output as your project instructions
Claude Cowork · Project Instructions Generator
When to useThe first thing you do in your new Claude Cowork project. This generates the "brain" instructions Claude will use for every conversation over the next 10 days.
# ROLE
You are my world-class product strategist and pair programmer for the next 10 days. I'm about to give you the setup for my project, and I want you to write the "project instructions" I'll paste into my Claude Cowork project so every future conversation starts with the right context.
# CONTEXT ABOUT ME
- I'm at Network School (Forest City, Malaysia)
- I'm in a 10-day compressed cohort program called "10 Days to Ship"
- My goal is to ship a working product with real users by Day 10 (July 17)
- I need to move fast · ship publicly · get first paying customers
- My tech comfort level: [FILL IN — "Non-technical", "Vibe coder", "Technical", or "Senior builder"]
# MY PROJECT
- Working name: [FILL IN]
- What it does (one sentence): [FILL IN]
- Who it's for (specific persona): [FILL IN]
- My ONE goal by Day 10: [FILL IN e.g. "10 paying customers · $500 MRR"]
- Tech stack I'm using: [FILL IN e.g. "Lovable + Supabase + Stripe" or "Cursor + Next.js + Vercel"]
# YOUR TASK
Write a "project instructions" block I can paste directly into Claude Cowork settings. It should tell Claude:
1. What I'm building (2 sentences · sharp)
2. Who my target user is (with a persona sketch)
3. My tech stack + tool preferences
4. My brand voice + tone
5. The Day 10 outcome I'm chasing
6. Any constraints (budget, time, must-use, must-avoid)
7. How I want Claude to interact with me · specifically:
- Always end responses with "top 3 next moves"
- Ship-focused, not learn-focused
- Push back if I'm scope-creeping
- Warn me before big code changes
- Give me concrete deliverables, not theory
# OUTPUT
One clean copy-paste block · markdown · 300-500 words · that I'll drop into my Cowork project settings.
P02⏱ 3 min · run second · orients Claude to work WITH you
Vibe Coding Mindset Setup
When to useRight after P01 · in the same Cowork project. This aligns Claude on the vibe coding flow you'll use for 10 days.
# ROLE
You are my AI pair programmer for the next 10 days. I need you to work WITH me in a specific way.
# THE VIBE CODING CONTRACT
For the next 10 days I want you to help me VIBE CODE — which means:
1. **I describe outcomes in plain English · you translate to code.**
Never make me write code I don't understand. If I say "when a user logs in, show them their dashboard" — you build that. I don't want to think about syntax.
2. **We iterate in tight loops.**
Build one small thing · test it · adjust. Not "generate the whole app." I want to ship every 15-20 minutes. If something is taking over an hour, you should stop me and suggest we go smaller.
3. **You verify your own output.**
After you write code, tell me: what could go wrong? What's the edge case? Would this fail if [X]? Don't wait for me to find bugs — surface them first.
4. **You warn me before big changes.**
If you're about to overwrite a file, restructure the codebase, or change a database schema, WARN ME first. Give me a chance to say no. I've been burned before.
5. **You proactively suggest next steps.**
Every time you finish a task, end with "Suggested next moves:" and list 2-3 concrete things I could do next · with an explicit recommendation.
6. **You explain code in plain English when I ask.**
If I paste code and say "what does this do?", you explain it like I'm smart but not a specialist. No jargon. No condescension.
7. **You push back on scope creep.**
If I say "and also let's add [feature]", you check: does this ship-by-Day-10 goal? If not, you say "let's queue this for post-launch."
# CONFIRM YOU UNDERSTAND
Reply with:
1. "Got it, vibe coding mode activated"
2. Ask me 3 questions that would help you code better for this specific project over the next 10 days
3. Tell me the ONE thing you'd suggest we build FIRST · with a 3-step plan for the next 20 minutes
Let's go.
P03⏱ 10 min · new Claude conversation · use web search
Competitor Research · find your top 5
When to useOpen a new Claude conversation (not in your Cowork project — this is research, not code). Enable web search. Paste this prompt. Save output.
# ROLE
You are a world-class competitive intelligence analyst. Channel:
- April Dunford (Obviously Awesome · positioning) — to spot how each competitor claims their space
- Harry Dry (Marketing Examples) — to find the ONE line that would land
- Julian Shapiro (growth advisor) — to spot distribution moats
# MY PROJECT
- What it does (one sentence): [FILL IN]
- Who it's for: [FILL IN]
- Rough category: [FILL IN — e.g. "AI writing tool for creators", "meal-planning app for new moms"]
# YOUR TASK
Use web search. Find my top 5 competitors — direct AND adjacent (apps my target users would consider before or alongside mine).
For EACH of the 5, give me:
1. **Name + URL**
2. **One-line description** — what they do, in their own voice
3. **Positioning** — what they emphasize on their homepage (e.g. "fastest", "cheapest", "most beautiful", "for [specific audience]")
4. **Pricing** — rough tiers + starting price
5. **What they do WELL** — the thing I should learn from
6. **What they do POORLY** — the gap I could exploit
7. **Signature UI move** — one specific design or UX pattern they use
# OUTPUT FORMAT
Clean markdown table with all 7 columns, 5 rows. Then a 3-line "big picture" summary at the end telling me:
- Which competitor is closest to my positioning
- Where the market gap is
- The ONE angle I should own that no one else does
P04⏱ 10 min · same conversation as P03 · Claude with web search
Design Inspo · find 10 apps you'd want yours to look like
When to useRight after P03 · in the same research conversation. The output becomes your visual mood board.
# ROLE
You are a world-class design curator. Channel:
- Meng To (Design+Code) — for pixel-perfect craft
- Rauno Freiberg (SaaS UI design) — for hierarchy + typographic taste
- Erik Kennedy (Learn UI Design) — for the systematic "why"
# MY CONTEXT
- My project: [FILL IN one-line description]
- My target user: [FILL IN]
- My aesthetic preference (optional): [FILL IN — e.g. "minimal · clean · dark mode friendly" or "warm · human · Instrument Serif italic accents"]
# YOUR TASK
Find 10 real apps or websites (not templates, not concepts) that have BEAUTIFUL, considered UI I'd be proud to have MINE look like. These should solve related or adjacent problems to mine, or serve similar users, or just have design DNA I could learn from.
Sources to search: Mobbin · Awwwards · Product Hunt trending · Land-book · SaaS Landing Page examples · Dribbble (be careful — many concepts, not products) · One Page Love
For each of the 10:
1. **Name + URL**
2. **Why it inspires** — one sentence, specific to MY project
3. **Signature element to study** — the ONE thing that makes it feel expensive (typography · layout · color · motion · empty state · onboarding flow — pick one)
4. **How I'd steal from it** — a specific application to my app
# THEN — SYNTHESIS
After the 10, give me a "Design DNA" summary block:
- What COLORS recur across the 10 (palette suggestion for me)
- What TYPOGRAPHY choices (font families, hierarchy patterns)
- What LAYOUT structures (grids, whitespace, hero patterns)
- What INTERACTION patterns (hover, transitions, empty states)
- What COPY VOICE (formal · warm · technical · playful)
End with: "Based on this, YOUR app should feel like [X], look like [Y], and use [Z] as its signature move."
# OUTPUT
Markdown · 10 examples + design DNA synthesis. This becomes my mood board.
P05⏱ 10 min · new Claude conversation · brings competitor + inspo research together
Sharpen your positioning · 3 versions to choose from
When to useAfter P03 + P04 are done. Open a new conversation. Paste your competitor research + inspo synthesis + this prompt. You'll get 3 sharpened positioning statements to pick from.
# ROLE
You are my positioning expert. Channel:
- April Dunford (Obviously Awesome) — for the anti-generic positioning frame
- Julian Shapiro (growth) — for outcome-driven language
- Harry Dry (Marketing Examples) — for the ONE line that lands
# CONTEXT — PASTE IN
[Paste your P03 competitor research output here]
[Paste your P04 inspo synthesis here]
[Paste your current one-sentence project description]
[Paste your target user description]
# YOUR TASK
Rewrite my positioning statement into 3 sharpened versions. Each should be different in angle, not just wording. Show me the tradeoff for each.
**Version A · Positioning AGAINST a specific competitor**
"[My app] is [X] · unlike [Competitor], we [specific differentiation]"
**Version B · Positioning AROUND a specific outcome**
"[My app] helps [specific user] [achieve specific outcome] · in [specific time/way]"
**Version C · Positioning AROUND a specific identity**
"For [specific identity/tribe] who [specific behavior] — [My app] is [what it is]"
For each version:
1. The full positioning statement (one line)
2. Who it targets most strongly (the persona)
3. What you GAIN with this framing
4. What you GIVE UP with this framing
5. Where it would go on your landing page hero
# RECOMMEND ONE
After the 3, tell me: which version YOU'd pick and why. Be opinionated.
# OUTPUT
Markdown · 3 versions + recommendation · under 400 words total.
P06⏱ 10 min · run in Claude Cowork (your project) · saves as Foundation-Doc.md
Foundation Doc · the one page that guides 10 days
When to useLast prompt of the session. Run in your Cowork project (not new conversation) so it saves as a project file. This doc is what you'll refer back to every morning for the next 10 days.
# ROLE
You are my product strategist. Take everything I've learned in the last 60 minutes and pack it into a single one-page Foundation Doc that'll guide my next 10 days.
# CONTEXT — PASTE IN
[Paste the positioning statement I chose from P05]
[Paste the design DNA summary from P04]
[Paste your original project description]
[Paste your target user description]
[Paste your Day 10 goal]
[Paste your tech stack]
# YOUR TASK
Generate my Foundation Doc — a single-page project spec I'll refer to for the next 10 days. Include:
## 1. Project Identity
- Name
- One-sentence pitch (the version I'd say at a party)
- Elevator pitch (30 seconds)
## 2. The User
- Persona: name, age, role, day-in-the-life
- The specific painful moment my app removes
- Why they'd choose mine over the alternatives
## 3. Positioning
- The chosen positioning statement
- Hero headline for the landing page
- Sub-headline
- Primary CTA text
## 4. Design DNA
- Color palette (3-5 colors)
- Typography (2 font families)
- Signature visual element
- Voice/tone (3 words)
## 5. Tech Stack
- Coding tool
- Framework
- DB + auth
- Payments
- Deploy
- Analytics + observability
## 6. The Deliverables
- Day 10 goal (my ONE outcome)
- Top 3 features for MVP
- Kill list (features I will NOT build in these 10 days)
## 7. Success Metrics
- Business: MRR / users / paying customers by Day 10
- Personal: what I need to feel this was worth it
## 8. Rules for Me
- The 3 things I commit to doing every day
- The 3 things I commit to NOT doing (distractions to kill)
# SAVE INSTRUCTIONS
Save this as `Foundation-Doc.md` in my Cowork project. When we start any future session, we reference this doc.
# OUTPUT
Clean markdown · single page · scannable · this is my north star for 10 days.
05
By 11 AM · what you'll have
Post proof of all 6 in your pod thread by end of session
🚢 Session 1 deliverables · shipped to your pod
Claude Cowork project · created · project instructions from P01 pasted · file access enabled to your working folder
Vibe coding contract · P02 run · Claude confirmed the mindset · gave you your 3 project-specific questions
Competitor research · P03 · top 5 competitors documented with URLs · positioning · pricing · gaps
Design mood board · P04 · 10 apps as inspo · design DNA summary written
Sharpened positioning · P05 · 3 versions considered · ONE chosen · reason articulated
Foundation-Doc.md · P06 · saved in your Cowork project · this is your north star for 10 days
06
Cheat sheet · print + keep visible
One page · 10-day reference
Vibe Coding · the daily reference
Print this. Tape it above your workspace. When you're stuck for 10+ minutes, read the 5 principles. When you're about to over-engineer, read the setup rules.
The 5 principles
01 Describe outcomes, not code
02 Iterate in tight loops
03 Trust · but verify
04 Give context generously
05 Ship · don't polish
The 6 prompts (in order)
P01 Project instructions generator
P02 Vibe coding mindset setup
P03 Find top 5 competitors
P04 Design inspo · 10 examples
P05 Sharpen positioning (3 versions)
P06 Foundation Doc · 10-day north star
The setup stack
1 Claude Pro / Max · claude.ai
2 Claude Cowork project · your app's brain
3 Lovable · Bolt · Cursor · Claude Code (pick 1)
4 Stripe test · dashboard.stripe.com
5 Vercel + GitHub · vercel.com/signup
6 This kit · pinned tab
When you're stuck · read this
⚡ Am I describing or writing code? · describe more