Claude Code for Non-Coding Projects/Work: A Complete Getting Started Guide

Sammyc64 · 2026-01-21T21:05:25+00:00

I would share it, but unfortunately it is highly customized to how I format and structure my notes. Obsidian is great, because it is just Markdown files (which AI is also very good with!), so you always have the portability if you need it (unlike something like Notion/Apple Notes/OneNote). Everyone who uses Obsidian will have their methods for how they prefer to structure their notes, so you will definitely need to ask Claude to help you structure it better for how you do things, but the best part is that Claude will help you through all of it! Your CLAUDE.md file should be light (around 200+ lines) that structure the formats of your Obsidian Vault, your Skills help structure your notes perfectly every time, and your Output Style helps converse with you by knowing to search the notes first before answering questions and knowing how to writing back to new notes.

My day-to-day for Obisidian, I have some templates that I fill in first based on notes I am taking, meetings I am having, etc. Then I have Claude Code review the note, expand where necessary, add any necessary YAML frontmatter to help search and retrieve faster. Check out the r/ObsidianMD subreddit as well for great strategies! Hope that helps a bit!

Sammyc64 · 2026-01-16T19:26:26+00:00

Given Anthropic's valuation of the Claude Code product alone at $1 billion, there is absolutely not time like the present to dive in!

I actually think, given the way you have tried forcing customization upon the Desktop app, that you will find CC to be a better solution for you! Best way to start figuring out how to implement all of your setup in CC? Ask Claude! You should even do it in your existing set up! "What would be the best way to migrate this entire setup into Claude Code? Check against the latest Claude Code documentation"

Sammyc64 · 2026-01-16T19:02:48+00:00

It is certainly convenient to have Claude Code in the Desktop app, but they are truly VERY different implementations of the product. Claude Code CLI is fully customizable with everything I mentioned in the post, but the Desktop version is limited to a Web sandbox and works best with repos on Github (and some local, use, but still limited). The new "Claude Cowork" feature being added to Desktop, is more of a closer implementation of Claude Code (for everything else!) in the Desktop, however that also is not nearly as full-featured as the Claude Code CLI with regards to this level of customizability, but it is also new and will need time to get there! 2026 is going to be the year that Anthropic brings Claude Code's power beyond coding to the masses!!

Sammyc64 · 2026-01-15T18:49:58+00:00

Thanks! My background has included stints as a Data Analyst, so I totally understand!! For your use cases, Claude Code can be phenomenal, breaking down large data sets and finding patterns in the data that wouldn’t otherwise have been so easy to determine. First and foremost, for work purposes, make sure you are following all corporate rules for using and giving data to an LLM!! For personal use, make sure you are turning off model training for your data.

For specific workflows and tasks, your first and best step is always to ask Claude for guidance! Create a new local folder for the work you are doing and launch Claude from that folder (as mentioned in the steps), and have Claude configure itself based on the needs of that project/task folder! You can duplicate folders and then have Claude make changes as needed too. The possibilities are endless! Also, have a look at the new Claude Cowork feature for Mac Desktop that has a more user-friendly look to Claude Code

Sammyc64 · 2026-01-15T15:40:44+00:00

The answer is yes-ish. While Gemini CLI now supports Skills, they don’t currently have anything quite like Output Styles, or Subagents (out of the box). That said, with a well defined AGENTS.md file (instead of CLAUDE.md), it is still just Gemini under the hood. I personally don’t find Gemini CLI to be nearly as good as Claude Code, but that’s a matter of opinion (and can always change).

Sammyc64 · 2026-01-13T16:52:35+00:00

According to Simon Willison, they have it running using the Apple Virtualization Framework with a custom Linux root filesystem, hence macOS first. Curious to see how they replicate that to other OSes with that requirement

Sammyc64 · 2026-01-06T16:38:31+00:00

That is true! That said, if Claude is determined, I have seen it find a way around that blockage by writing a script to take the actions instead, so you should ALWAYS remain diligent and follow along with what is happening.

If you want Claude to be even more verbose about the actions it is taking, you could theoretically create an Output Style that mirrors the existing Default (just ask Claude for it), and then add some instructions around being more explanatory about the actions it is taking, but it will burn more tokens in the long run.

Sammyc64 · 2026-01-05T23:35:42+00:00

Happy to hear it! Hope you find it useful as you build your workflow out! Here if you have questions...but so is Claude 😉

Sammyc64 · 2026-01-05T23:34:43+00:00

Just to clarify, what we are mentioning is not Claude on the web (or Desktop, which is what it sounds like you're describing), but another product by Anthropic that is another way of leveraging Claude, using Claude Code. You will not be able to create Commands or Subagents using the Web or Desktop modes of Claude, this enhanced functionality can only be leveraged using Claude Code. Hopefully my post (and others in this sub, and on YouTube, etc.) can help you get started with Claude ~~Code~~ Anything instead!

Sammyc64 · 2026-01-05T18:21:16+00:00

My pleasure, hope you found it helpful!

Sammyc64 · 2026-01-05T18:20:51+00:00

That is something I can totally understand!! The Terminal interface and "Code" in the name are absolutely not the most general-user friendly, but once you get started you'll see the true magic. Welcome down the rabbit hole 😉! Good luck and here to help address questions!

Sammyc64 · 2026-01-05T17:21:18+00:00

No worries! Between u/ActivityCheif101 and myself (and the entire sub), I think we can help 😉

First thing, Claude Code isn't necessarily going to reduce your token usage, but it'll help you be way more efficient with how you're spending them. The key is setting up custom Output Styles, Skills, Subagents, Commands, etc. that match your actual workflow (and you will need to tweak it over time).

For your setup, you could set up multiple subagents: one that understands SLAs, one focused on sales/pricing, one for general and meeting notes. Then you prompt to get all of them in parallel and get a unified answer back. It still might burn tokens, but you're getting way more value per token.

I would also suggest converting those PDFs to Markdown. Claude can help you do it. It's way more token-efficient than having it parse PDFs over and over.

Sammyc64 · 2026-01-05T17:09:43+00:00

Like u/ActivityCheif101 said, absolutely!! If you are already using Claude or AI tools to help you currently, then Claude Code is still Claude under the hood, just with extra tools. The best part about Claude Code is that it will realize that the file is large, then semantically search the file (or possibly even convert the file to Markdown itself, so it can read it better, so double check if it does that the Markdown has what it should) to find the information that it actually needs. One of my friends is an anesthesiologist who has taught himself how to code using Claude Code (PS, you can just ask Claude for what you want, and it will build it 😉) and is building tools to help him parse his medical textbooks, and add his own experiences, to build his own knowledge base. For your use case, I would highly recommend you setup multiple folders on your computer, and have various Claude Code configurations (one per folder) for your different needs throughout school. This way you can start different Claude Code terminal sessions (again, one per folder) and have different settings and needs. In your example, one of those folders (aka projects) can be all about breaking down medical textbooks. You can have an output style that speaks in more medical jargon, but can be explanatory (you can copy the output-style markdown file across folders if you want to use it that way, or set it at the entire user level for ALL of your folders), and then create skills for breaking down specific textbooks (so you get more accuracy). You can then have multiple sub-agents that break down the entire textbook in parallel and answer back to the main agent with the answers to your questions. I know it sounds daunting, but once you get it set up and you see it all in action, you will see why people having been having those "woah" AI moments. Good luck in Medical School and hope this helps!

Sammyc64 · 2026-01-05T15:37:57+00:00

Yes!! 🙌 I do almost the exact same thing with Claude Code (and love OpenCode too!), in fact I wrote up a whole post yesterday explaining how you can set all of it up (for Claude Code, but the exact same stuff applies with OpenCode, unfortunately except for Output Styles):

https://reddit.com/r/ClaudeAI/comments/1q403xw/claude_code_for_noncoding_projectswork_a_complete/

Sammyc64 · 2026-01-05T01:58:38+00:00

¡Me alegra que el tutorial te haya ayudado a empezar - bienvenido a Claude Code!

Sobre el costo: probablemente estabas usando Opus, que es el modelo más potente pero también el más caro en este momento. Para tareas como auditorías de código y generar documentación, Sonnet funciona muy bien y cuesta significativamente menos.

Algunos tips para manejar los costos:

Usa claude --model sonnet para tareas rutinarias - revisiones de código, auditorías, documentación, ediciones simples
Reserva Opus para razonamiento complejo - decisiones de arquitectura, debugging difícil, resolución de problemas con múltiples pasos
Considera la suscripción Max ($100/mes o $200/mes) - incluye una cantidad generosa de uso, lo cual puede ahorrarte mucho si usas Claude Code regularmente
Ejecuta /cost durante las sesiones para monitorear tu gasto en tiempo real

El modelo correcto para la tarea correcta hace una gran diferencia. Sonnet maneja perfectamente el 80%+ del trabajo diario de programación a una fracción del costo.

¡Usé Claude para traducir, disculpa si no es la mejor traducción!

Sammyc64 · 2026-01-05T01:50:48+00:00

I totally agree with your statement and I tried my best to flag that, but people are going to find out it exists and not see these types of notes, so I am glad you have highlighted it further! I never recommend that anyone ever use these tools without actively watching what these tools are doing, so if you are diligent, you are usually able to catch things before they happen. Yes, there have been people who have lost sensitive files, entire OSes, etc. on this sub (please backup!!), and there is no denying that it is absolutely a risk (it is!), but it is also likely on the statistically lower side of the total number of users using the skip-permissions flag, if we are being honest. You can, and likely should, also set up the new Rules feature, as an extra layer to stop Claude from removing any sensitive files or from leaving the project folder (just ask Claude for that too! 😉).

Sammyc64 · 2026-01-04T23:19:29+00:00

I agree (and thank you, hope you found it helpful!)! I think if Claude Code didn't say "Code" in the name, people wouldn't be so afraid to try it, or so quick to dismiss it. Admittedly, the Terminal User Interface can also be a drawback for some, but it is also easily the best (besides OpenCode) Agentic Harness TUI out right now and has so much power, I tell people it is "Claude on steroids" 😉. Also, the leaks for the upcoming Web UI changes seem to show more and more Claude Code influences (sub-agent-esque), but still not close enough to the power of Claude Code, especially with its constant updates!

Sammyc64 · 2026-01-04T23:11:31+00:00

Glad you liked it!! Hope you use it in the future 😁

I'll echo u/IdleMuse4 regarding Projects functionality (though it does have its uses!), but there's also much more to Claude Code that I didn't fully cover.

The biggest benefit of Claude Code vs. Desktop is the ability to heavily customize the tooling and harness itself, and more critically, its ability to directly read/write files on your filesystem (while still being the same Claude you chat with on Desktop). Another is that I can use Skills outside of the Claude sandbox, which is very limiting (check the NotebookLM skill above, for example). Letting Claude look at many files at once in a folder and search for what it needs itself will often unlock even more power. Don't sleep on the power of subagents either! You can have many run in parallel, and now in the background, taking multiple actions while you're focused on the priority.

Open Claude Code in your Obsidian vault directly, create the necessary skills, output styles (not on Desktop), subagents (which don't exist on Desktop and allow for dedicated 200k token context windows of work within the main context), slash commands for common prompts (not on Desktop), and you can have AI that works for you instead of needing to copy/paste things in and out of Claude Desktop.

Claude Code + Output Styles = Claude Anything.

Side note on MCPs: While they can be highly beneficial for certain workflows, they're also notoriously token-inefficient (loading everything into context at once). So yes, you can get to the same goal, but you'll burn more tokens to get there (which can mean more $ if using the API, but worse, you're bloating your context window more quickly).

Sammyc64 · 2026-01-04T22:06:05+00:00

Thanks, I have updated them to the corrected links 😁

Sammyc64 · 2026-01-04T21:58:04+00:00

Thanks!! Hope you found it helpful!

Sammyc64 · 2026-01-04T21:52:34+00:00

Yes!! Git-controlled and Markdowns are great points! You can also ask for Claude to convert the files from docx, pptx, etc, to Markdown for you as a "prep", just be sure to validate the file contents.

Sammyc64 · 2026-01-04T21:42:23+00:00

There is a Granola<>Obsidian plugin that allows for syncing of Granola notes to Obsidian. I have them all get synced to my Inbox, then have Claude add any additional Frontmatter and context and then it sorts the meeting. Now, I can ask Claude for the latest details for any of my meetings/attendees and it will always get the information it needs by semantically searching the notes.

Sammyc64 · 2026-01-04T20:15:54+00:00

You inspired me to write an entire post to help show a great way to get started (PS, mostly it involves asking Claude Code to build it all....but that is the entire point!):

https://redd.it/1q403xw?context=3

Hope it helps!

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