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FreeSet up guide

Claude Code in an Afternoon

Free · ~30 min to set up · Beginner-friendly

Written by a self-taught dev turned Tech Lead.

Claude Code is powerful - but the docs are 80+ pages, and it's easy to give up halfway or set it up wrong.

This is your shortcut: the exact setup I use for real work, so you go from installed to genuinely productive in an afternoon - not weeks of trial and error.

By the end, you'll

  • Have Claude Code set up the right way - lean and fast, no bloat
  • Know exactly which feature to reach for, and when
  • Actually finish setup instead of abandoning it half-configured

What's inside

  • Step-by-step setup: install, sign in, first run - in VS Code or the terminal
  • The lean CLAUDE.md template I actually use (copy-paste ready)
  • The 7 building blocks made simple: memory, skills, plugins, hooks, MCP & more
  • A "which feature do I reach for?" cheat sheet + command reference
  • A tick-as-you-go checklist so you always know what's left