ā¹ļø Skipped - page is already crawled
| Filter | Status | Condition | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| HTTP status | PASS | download_http_code = 200 | HTTP 200 |
| Age cutoff | PASS | download_stamp > now() - 6 MONTH | 0 months ago |
| History drop | PASS | isNull(history_drop_reason) | No drop reason |
| Spam/ban | PASS | fh_dont_index != 1 AND ml_spam_score = 0 | ml_spam_score=0 |
| Canonical | PASS | meta_canonical IS NULL OR = '' OR = src_unparsed | Not set |
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| URL | https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/everyone-should-be-using-claude-code |
| Last Crawled | 2026-04-11 01:15:51 (22 minutes ago) |
| First Indexed | 2025-10-14 23:35:26 (5 months ago) |
| HTTP Status Code | 200 |
| Meta Title | Everyone should be using Claude Code more |
| Meta Description | How to get started, and 50 ways non-technical people are using Claude Code in their work and life |
| Meta Canonical | null |
| Boilerpipe Text | š Hey there, Iām Lenny. Each week, I tackle reader questions about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career. For more:
Lennybot
|
Lennyās Podcast
|
How I AI
|
Lennyās Reads
|
Favorite AI and PM courses
|
Favorite public speaking course
Subscribers get
19 premium products for free for one year
:
Lovable, Replit, Gamma, n8n, Bolt, Devin, Wispr Flow, Descript, Linear, PostHog, Superhuman, Granola, Warp, Perplexity, Raycast, Magic Patterns, Mobbin, ChatPRD + Stripe Atlas
(
terms apply
).
Subscribe now
.
Ever since
my chat with Dan Shipper
, I couldnāt stop thinking about his hot take that
Claude Code
was the most underrated AI tool for non-technical people. A few weeks ago, I finally started playing around with it, and holy sh*t, weāve all been sleeping on Claude Code.
The key is to forget that itās called Claude Code and instead think of it as Claude
Local
or Claude
Agent
.
Itās essentially a super-intelligent AI running locally
1
, able to do stuff directly on your computerāfrom organizing your files and folders to enhancing image quality, brainstorming domain names, summarizing customer calls, creating Linear tickets, and, as youāll see below,Ā
so much more
.
Since itās running on your machine, it can handle much larger files, run much longer than the cloud-based Claude/ChatGPT/Gemini chatbots, and itās fast and versatile. Claude Code is basically Claude with superpowers.
To inspire your own ideas, Iāve collected 50 of my favorite and most creative ways non-technical people are using Claude Code in their work and life. This list includes my own favorite use cases, and the best examples yāall shared with me on
X
and
LinkedIn
of how you use Claude Code.
A huge thank-you to the more than 500 of you who shared your stories. š
Open your Terminal app
On a Mac, press
Command (ā) + Space
, type
āTerminalā
, and hit
Return
In Windows, press
Windows key + R
, type
āwtā
, and press
Enter
Install Claude Code
On a Mac, run this command:
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash
In Windows, run this command:
irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex
Launch Claude Code:
claude
If you run into any trouble, just ask your favorite chatbot for help. Or better yet, install
Warp
(
free with your newsletter subscription
!), which replaces your local terminal app and automagically solves any issues you encounter trying to install stuff like Claude Code. Thatās how I solved the problems I ran into, and I highly recommend you do the same.
Prompt: ā
How can I clear some storage on my computer?
ā I then discuss my options.
Prompt: ā
Improve the image quality of [filename]
ā. I used this many times for the screenshots below.
Prompt: ā
Download this YouTube video: [URL]
ā. Then I ignored all the warnings š¤«
Prompt: ā
Download all of the images in high-res from this Google Doc: [URL]ā.
This paired well with item #2.
Prompt: ā
Pick a random row from this Google Sheet to select a winner for a giveaway.
ā I used this for a recent Sora 2 giveaway in our subscriber Slack community.
Out of the over 500 ideas you shared with me on
X
and
LinkedIn
, here are my favorites (with screenshots):
āJust describe your project, and itāll suggest creative options across multiple TLDs (.com, .io, .dev, etc.) while verifying whatās actually available to register.ā
āI literally just typed: look at what Iām building and identify the top 5 companies in my area that would be good for a pilot for this. Then I go to LinkedIn and message them. If itās not clear, I do this in the source directory of the code of my app so the first thing it does is figure out what it is that Iām building.ā
āMy product masks sensitive data in code assistant queries. So Claude Code proposed the idea to find potential leads in the GitHub repos, by searching for the actual sensitive values in them (and whether in the repo we see some evidence of using coding agents). This was actually geniusānot only does it filter out a lot of companies, but it also provides instant value to the lead. Hereās what it came up with: repos list, priority score, even LinkedIn URL.ā
āI download all of my meeting recordings, put them in a folder, and ask Claude Code to tell me all of the times Iāve subtly avoided conflict.ā
Pro tip: Use
Granola
(
first year free
!), and ask Claude Code how to download your meeting notes into a folder.
āI sometimes use Claude Code for system diagnostics when my Mac slows down.
I use it to check load averages, memory pressure, disk space, stuck processes, and swap activity, then it dives deeper to find whatās actually causing issues. It can calculate cache sizes, check Docker usage, find Time Machine snapshots eating space, etc.
It is usually faster and more user-friendly than running all the commands and trying to extract the right numbers myself. It can explain what the analyses mean and why they matter, and suggests fixes with the actual commands while assessing the risk of running each of them.ā
āI use Claude Code to sort my invoices for taxes. It reads each file in a messy folder, renames it to āYYYY-MM-DD Vendor - Invoice - ProductOrService.pdfā, and moves it into the right folder.ā
āFor me, staying organized is a huge chore. The cognitive load of figuring out where to store files and keeping everything clean and up to date was insane. My hack: I run Claude Code from my home directory and use it as my personal organization assistant. Iāll ask it things like:
āFind duplicate files and help me decide which to keepā
āOrganize these downloads into proper foldersā
āReview my directory structure and suggest improvementsā
āFind old files I probably donāt need anymoreā
Itās like having a thoughtful assistant who actually understands context and can make smart decisions about file organization. Game changer for reducing mental clutter.ā
āI built my own DIY subagent last week to help me build a slide tower for my son šā
The finished product:
āIām a mom who voice-records ideas during morning stroller walks, not a developer. The terminal interface? Overwhelming at first. The word āCodeā . . . but what if I donāt have a ācoding projectā? After 3 weeks of struggling to organize my scattered thoughts, I tried it anyway. And discovered something wild: Claude Code isnāt about coding at all. Itās about having an AI that manages your entire processāwhatever the goal might be.
How I use it:
ā Fed it rambling voice notes from stroller walks
ā It organized them into coherent research themes
ā Wrote a full article in
my
exact voice (pulled from my own examples!)
ā Created LinkedIn versions automatically (this post is one of them!)
ā Everything saved and ready to publish (including grabbing a screenshot of the template repository that Iām adding here!)ā [
Hereās the repo
]
āI used it to generate a full job description, hiring plan, interview plan, and rubric for a new role at Clay.
I made a folder with internal Notions of our hiring material for PMs, added similar role JDs from other companies, then in planning mode asked to generate the same collateral for this new role.ā
āMy current Claude Code jam is synthesizing transcripts of calls with customers to compile evidence that supports or invalidates a running tally of assumptions/requirements/hypotheses/whatever. Given MCPs to interact with other tools in our productivity stackāFireflies, Linear, Notion, etc.āitās become my hub for ongoing product research and development.ā
āI now write all of my content with Claude Code in VS Code. We iterate on an outline, it helps me improve the hook, it conducts research for me and adds citations to my outline, and it reviews and gives feedback on each section as I write. It has completely changed the way I write.ā [
Much more on Teresaās process here
]
āIām working with multiple audio files. I use Claude Code to manipulate them, convert the sample rates, rename them, and translate them from Portuguese to English.ā
āThe most interesting use case weāre playing with is something I call āself-driving documentation.ā Basically, how can we give an Agent the responsibility of figuring out how/where our documentation can be better and more comprehensive. Weāve been experimenting with using Claude Code together with
Playwright
to automatically explore our software independently, identify knowledge gaps in our documentation, and then create those changes itself. Very promising!ā [
More here
]
āI created a slash command that analyzes my journal entries + Git commits (for the past 7 days; usually I use this weekly), spots gaps between what I said vs. did, and suggests system improvements. Like having a COO that learns from my patterns.ā |
| Markdown | [](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/)
# [](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/)
Subscribe
Sign in
# Everyone should be using Claude Code more
### How to get started, and 50 ways non-technical people are using Claude Code in their work and life
[](https://substack.com/@lenny)
[Lenny Rachitsky](https://substack.com/@lenny)
Oct 14, 2025
ā Paid
659
25
46
Share
*š Hey there, Iām Lenny. Each week, I tackle reader questions about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career. For more: **[Lennybot](https://www.lennybot.com/) \| [Lennyās Podcast](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/podcast) \|** **[How I AI](https://www.youtube.com/@howiaipodcast)** **\| [Lennyās Reads](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/s/lennys-reads)** \| **[Favorite AI and PM courses](https://maven.com/lenny) \| [Favorite public speaking course](https://ultraspeaking.com/lennyslist?via=lenny)***
*Subscribers get **19 premium products for free for one year**: [Lovable, Replit, Gamma, n8n, Bolt, Devin, Wispr Flow, Descript, Linear, PostHog, Superhuman, Granola, Warp, Perplexity, Raycast, Magic Patterns, Mobbin, ChatPRD + Stripe Atlas](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/productpass) ([terms apply](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/168890236/important-offer-details-read-before-subscribing)). **[Subscribe now](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe).***
***
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ByeN!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6b68fd37-43ed-49a8-889d-7f49e6102eb0_1456x970.png)
Ever since [my chat with Dan Shipper](https://youtu.be/crMrVozp_h8?si=Kx_XeBfEM2pPJ1Ib&t=429), I couldnāt stop thinking about his hot take that [Claude Code](https://www.claude.com/product/claude-code) was the most underrated AI tool for non-technical people. A few weeks ago, I finally started playing around with it, and holy sh\*t, weāve all been sleeping on Claude Code.
**The key is to forget that itās called Claude Code and instead think of it as Claude** ***Local*** **or Claude** ***Agent*****.** Itās essentially a super-intelligent AI running locally[1](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/everyone-should-be-using-claude-code#footnote-1-175662739), able to do stuff directly on your computerāfrom organizing your files and folders to enhancing image quality, brainstorming domain names, summarizing customer calls, creating Linear tickets, and, as youāll see below, *so much more*.
Since itās running on your machine, it can handle much larger files, run much longer than the cloud-based Claude/ChatGPT/Gemini chatbots, and itās fast and versatile. Claude Code is basically Claude with superpowers.
**To inspire your own ideas, Iāve collected 50 of my favorite and most creative ways non-technical people are using Claude Code in their work and life. This list includes my own favorite use cases, and the best examples yāall shared with me on [X](https://x.com/lennysan/status/1960417604948123663) and [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/lennyrachitsky_do-you-use-claude-code-or-some-other-cli-activity-7379238388391923713-nVnf?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAABGvmoB4S920iEQfSFO_P91nw2wPqfPoic) of how you use Claude Code.**
A huge thank-you to the more than 500 of you who shared your stories. š
## **But first, letās install Claude Code on your computer**
1. **Open your Terminal app**
1. On a Mac, press **Command (ā) + Space**, type **āTerminalā**, and hit **Return**
2. In Windows, press **Windows key + R**, type **āwtā**, and press **Enter**
2. **Install Claude Code**
1. On a Mac, run this command: *curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh \| bash*
2. In Windows, run this command: *irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 \| iex*
3. **Launch Claude Code:** *claude*
If you run into any trouble, just ask your favorite chatbot for help. Or better yet, install [Warp](https://www.warp.dev/) ([free with your newsletter subscription](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/productpass)!), which replaces your local terminal app and automagically solves any issues you encounter trying to install stuff like Claude Code. Thatās how I solved the problems I ran into, and I highly recommend you do the same.
## **Five ways Iāve been using Claude Code this month**
#### 1\. Clearing space on my computer
Prompt: ā*How can I clear some storage on my computer?*ā I then discuss my options.
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CLRk!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F12f869f9-6519-4870-be16-dffe585eb475_1600x690.png)
#### 2\. Improving the image quality of screenshots
Prompt: ā*Improve the image quality of \[filename\]*ā. I used this many times for the screenshots below.
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HOGa!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdc76e64e-df51-4461-83e8-1bbd89b0b67c_1962x1598.png)
#### 3\. Downloading YouTube videos
Prompt: ā*Download this YouTube video: \[URL\]*ā. Then I ignored all the warnings š¤«
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XS5F!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb4166da8-693b-432f-a509-284e4848e9de_2132x1260.png)
#### 4\. Downloading all of the images embedded inside a Google Doc
Prompt: ā*Download all of the images in high-res from this Google Doc: \[URL\]ā.* This paired well with item \#2.
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OsG5!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2aee1f08-2f50-4ae9-b6db-0a1dec2e7a38_2394x1066.png)
#### 5\. Picking a random raffle winner from a Google Sheet of submissions
Prompt: ā*Pick a random row from this Google Sheet to select a winner for a giveaway.*ā I used this for a recent Sora 2 giveaway in our subscriber Slack community.
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2J_A!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6acf2721-9fb9-424b-9737-8ccc235e42c0_2170x770.png)
# **50 creative ways non-technical people are using Claude Code**
Out of the over 500 ideas you shared with me on [X](https://x.com/lennysan/status/1960417604948123663) and [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/lennyrachitsky_do-you-use-claude-code-or-some-other-cli-activity-7379238388391923713-nVnf?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAABGvmoB4S920iEQfSFO_P91nw2wPqfPoic), here are my favorites (with screenshots):
### **1\. Brainstorming domain names, from [Ben Aiad](https://x.com/benaiad)**
> āJust describe your project, and itāll suggest creative options across multiple TLDs (.com, .io, .dev, etc.) while verifying whatās actually available to register.ā
### **2\. Finding high-quality leads, from [Jeff Lindquist](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-lindquist-0497b625/)**
> āI literally just typed: look at what Iām building and identify the top 5 companies in my area that would be good for a pilot for this. Then I go to LinkedIn and message them. If itās not clear, I do this in the source directory of the code of my app so the first thing it does is figure out what it is that Iām building.ā
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!VaJx!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F01eff5de-1cb0-4601-897e-6c1b931a1ee6_2560x1704.png)
### **3\. Same as above, but instead, scraping GitHub repos, from [Sergei Zotov](https://www.linkedin.com/in/szotov/)**
> āMy product masks sensitive data in code assistant queries. So Claude Code proposed the idea to find potential leads in the GitHub repos, by searching for the actual sensitive values in them (and whether in the repo we see some evidence of using coding agents). This was actually geniusānot only does it filter out a lot of companies, but it also provides instant value to the lead. Hereās what it came up with: repos list, priority score, even LinkedIn URL.ā
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OoPr!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5be22cc6-7cd7-4366-9e8d-cc237e8542f4_1280x428.png)
### **4\. Noticing when youāre avoiding conflict, from [Dan Shipper](https://x.com/danshipper)**
> āI download all of my meeting recordings, put them in a folder, and ask Claude Code to tell me all of the times Iāve subtly avoided conflict.ā
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!B8y3!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F489eaeb3-c920-472e-9f0b-6745759e4867_1484x1853.png)
*Pro tip: Use [Granola](https://www.granola.ai/) ([first year free](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/productpass)!), and ask Claude Code how to download your meeting notes into a folder.*
### **5\. Figuring out why your computer is running slow, from [Anthony Roux](https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonyrouxfr/)**
> āI sometimes use Claude Code for system diagnostics when my Mac slows down.
>
> I use it to check load averages, memory pressure, disk space, stuck processes, and swap activity, then it dives deeper to find whatās actually causing issues. It can calculate cache sizes, check Docker usage, find Time Machine snapshots eating space, etc.
>
> It is usually faster and more user-friendly than running all the commands and trying to extract the right numbers myself. It can explain what the analyses mean and why they matter, and suggests fixes with the actual commands while assessing the risk of running each of them.ā
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!H97L!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa522d04f-f7a7-4e50-8032-a8bcc8ec5392_1904x2082.png)
### **6\. Cleaning up messy invoice files, from [Martin Merschroth](https://www.linkedin.com/in/martin-merschroth/)**
> āI use Claude Code to sort my invoices for taxes. It reads each file in a messy folder, renames it to āYYYY-MM-DD Vendor - Invoice - ProductOrService.pdfā, and moves it into the right folder.ā
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!eSnW!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F48d52c72-a709-4b94-beb4-c70abebdbada_739x645.png)
### **7\. Organizing files and folders across your computer, from [Justin Dielmann](https://www.linkedin.com/in/justindielmann/)**
> āFor me, staying organized is a huge chore. The cognitive load of figuring out where to store files and keeping everything clean and up to date was insane. My hack: I run Claude Code from my home directory and use it as my personal organization assistant. Iāll ask it things like:
>
> 1. āFind duplicate files and help me decide which to keepā
> 2. āOrganize these downloads into proper foldersā
> 3. āReview my directory structure and suggest improvementsā
> 4. āFind old files I probably donāt need anymoreā
>
> Itās like having a thoughtful assistant who actually understands context and can make smart decisions about file organization. Game changer for reducing mental clutter.ā
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!run6!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa0c4a412-51f2-48c5-8295-dc0624f5ad59_1136x1242.png)
### **8\. Building a slide for your child, from [John Conneely](https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbconneely/)**
> āI built my own DIY subagent last week to help me build a slide tower for my son šā
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!N_qc!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcc626b43-9eef-4145-a899-7c88d0c2a28c_1116x1566.png)
The finished product:
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HpYh!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F79b18afd-e4d7-4c8a-bf9d-260a2f5d2ac7_1280x720.png)
### **9\. Organizing scattered thoughts, from [Helen Lee Kupp](https://www.linkedin.com/in/helenleekupp/)**
> āIām a mom who voice-records ideas during morning stroller walks, not a developer. The terminal interface? Overwhelming at first. The word āCodeā . . . but what if I donāt have a ācoding projectā? After 3 weeks of struggling to organize my scattered thoughts, I tried it anyway. And discovered something wild: Claude Code isnāt about coding at all. Itās about having an AI that manages your entire processāwhatever the goal might be.
>
> How I use it:
>
> ā Fed it rambling voice notes from stroller walks
> ā It organized them into coherent research themes
> ā Wrote a full article in *my* exact voice (pulled from my own examples!)
> ā Created LinkedIn versions automatically (this post is one of them!)
> ā Everything saved and ready to publish (including grabbing a screenshot of the template repository that Iām adding here!)ā \[[Hereās the repo](https://github.com/WomenDefiningAI/claudecode-writer)\]
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!buG4!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd39ecb30-620e-4df9-bba6-7dd9d2e47990_1724x1500.png)
### **10\. Writing a job description, from [Justin Bleuel](https://x.com/JustinBleuel)**
> āI used it to generate a full job description, hiring plan, interview plan, and rubric for a new role at Clay.
>
> I made a folder with internal Notions of our hiring material for PMs, added similar role JDs from other companies, then in planning mode asked to generate the same collateral for this new role.ā
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!F1DX!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9392251d-0b64-45e5-9d46-05fa1c7ed491_1513x893.jpeg)
### **11\. Synthesizing transcripts of calls with customers, from [Derek DeHart](https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekdehart/)**
> āMy current Claude Code jam is synthesizing transcripts of calls with customers to compile evidence that supports or invalidates a running tally of assumptions/requirements/hypotheses/whatever. Given MCPs to interact with other tools in our productivity stackāFireflies, Linear, Notion, etc.āitās become my hub for ongoing product research and development.ā
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!pdKp!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F14db451f-0dad-4236-b0da-efcef7ee88dd_1280x720.png)
### **12\. Improving your writing, from [Teresa Torres](https://www.linkedin.com/in/teresatorres/)**
> āI now write all of my content with Claude Code in VS Code. We iterate on an outline, it helps me improve the hook, it conducts research for me and adds citations to my outline, and it reviews and gives feedback on each section as I write. It has completely changed the way I write.ā \[[Much more on Teresaās process here](https://www.producttalk.org/21-ways-to-use-ai-at-work/)\]
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WwRa!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F07200b8d-a92d-473e-bb43-3743d22e5985_2000x752.png)
### **13\. Working with audio files, from [Dan Heller](https://www.linkedin.com/in/thedanheller/)**
> āIām working with multiple audio files. I use Claude Code to manipulate them, convert the sample rates, rename them, and translate them from Portuguese to English.ā
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!pp1E!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbab43e55-862f-48af-9428-ec49136af776_1280x739.png)
### **14\. Creating āself-drivingā documentation, from [James Pember](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamespember/)**
> āThe most interesting use case weāre playing with is something I call āself-driving documentation.ā Basically, how can we give an Agent the responsibility of figuring out how/where our documentation can be better and more comprehensive. Weāve been experimenting with using Claude Code together with [Playwright](https://playwright.dev/) to automatically explore our software independently, identify knowledge gaps in our documentation, and then create those changes itself. Very promising!ā \[[More here](https://jamespember.substack.com/p/self-documenting-software)\]
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WMdJ!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2001bcaa-90d7-48a0-84d7-79f21dbf01e8_2560x1706.png)
### **15\. Creating a self-improving feedback loop, from** **[Gang Rui](https://www.linkedin.com/in/limgangrui/)**
> āI created a slash command that analyzes my journal entries + Git commits (for the past 7 days; usually I use this weekly), spots gaps between what I said vs. did, and suggests system improvements. Like having a COO that learns from my patterns.ā
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_kDg!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F61b9353c-e8a1-4c17-90a7-64fcb3e09112_1432x1774.png)
### **16\. Getting inspiration from competitorsā ads, from [Sumant Subrahmanya](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sumantus/)**
## This post is for paid subscribers
[Subscribe](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?simple=true&next=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lennysnewsletter.com%2Fp%2Feveryone-should-be-using-claude-code&utm_source=paywall&utm_medium=web&utm_content=175662739)
[Already a paid subscriber? **Sign in**](https://substack.com/sign-in?redirect=%2Fp%2Feveryone-should-be-using-claude-code&for_pub=lenny&change_user=false)
Previous
Next
Ā© 2026 Substack Inc Ā· [Privacy](https://substack.com/privacy) ā [Terms](https://substack.com/tos) ā [Collection notice](https://substack.com/ccpa#personal-data-collected)
[Start your Substack](https://substack.com/signup?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=web&utm_content=footer)
[Get the app](https://substack.com/app/app-store-redirect?utm_campaign=app-marketing&utm_content=web-footer-button)
[Substack](https://substack.com/) is the home for great culture
#### Cookie Policy
We use cookies to improve your experience, for analytics, and for marketing. You can accept, reject, or manage your preferences. See our [privacy policy](https://substack.com/tos).
Manage
Reject
Accept
This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. Please [turn on JavaScript](https://enable-javascript.com/) or unblock scripts |
| Readable Markdown | *š Hey there, Iām Lenny. Each week, I tackle reader questions about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career. For more: **[Lennybot](https://www.lennybot.com/) \| [Lennyās Podcast](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/podcast) \|** **[How I AI](https://www.youtube.com/@howiaipodcast)** **\| [Lennyās Reads](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/s/lennys-reads)** \| **[Favorite AI and PM courses](https://maven.com/lenny) \| [Favorite public speaking course](https://ultraspeaking.com/lennyslist?via=lenny)***
*Subscribers get **19 premium products for free for one year**: [Lovable, Replit, Gamma, n8n, Bolt, Devin, Wispr Flow, Descript, Linear, PostHog, Superhuman, Granola, Warp, Perplexity, Raycast, Magic Patterns, Mobbin, ChatPRD + Stripe Atlas](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/productpass) ([terms apply](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/168890236/important-offer-details-read-before-subscribing)). **[Subscribe now](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe).***
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ByeN!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6b68fd37-43ed-49a8-889d-7f49e6102eb0_1456x970.png)
Ever since [my chat with Dan Shipper](https://youtu.be/crMrVozp_h8?si=Kx_XeBfEM2pPJ1Ib&t=429), I couldnāt stop thinking about his hot take that [Claude Code](https://www.claude.com/product/claude-code) was the most underrated AI tool for non-technical people. A few weeks ago, I finally started playing around with it, and holy sh\*t, weāve all been sleeping on Claude Code.
**The key is to forget that itās called Claude Code and instead think of it as Claude** ***Local*** **or Claude** ***Agent*****.** Itās essentially a super-intelligent AI running locally[1](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/everyone-should-be-using-claude-code#footnote-1-175662739), able to do stuff directly on your computerāfrom organizing your files and folders to enhancing image quality, brainstorming domain names, summarizing customer calls, creating Linear tickets, and, as youāll see below, *so much more*.
Since itās running on your machine, it can handle much larger files, run much longer than the cloud-based Claude/ChatGPT/Gemini chatbots, and itās fast and versatile. Claude Code is basically Claude with superpowers.
**To inspire your own ideas, Iāve collected 50 of my favorite and most creative ways non-technical people are using Claude Code in their work and life. This list includes my own favorite use cases, and the best examples yāall shared with me on [X](https://x.com/lennysan/status/1960417604948123663) and [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/lennyrachitsky_do-you-use-claude-code-or-some-other-cli-activity-7379238388391923713-nVnf?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAABGvmoB4S920iEQfSFO_P91nw2wPqfPoic) of how you use Claude Code.**
A huge thank-you to the more than 500 of you who shared your stories. š
1. **Open your Terminal app**
1. On a Mac, press **Command (ā) + Space**, type **āTerminalā**, and hit **Return**
2. In Windows, press **Windows key + R**, type **āwtā**, and press **Enter**
2. **Install Claude Code**
1. On a Mac, run this command: *curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh \| bash*
2. In Windows, run this command: *irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 \| iex*
3. **Launch Claude Code:** *claude*
If you run into any trouble, just ask your favorite chatbot for help. Or better yet, install [Warp](https://www.warp.dev/) ([free with your newsletter subscription](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/productpass)!), which replaces your local terminal app and automagically solves any issues you encounter trying to install stuff like Claude Code. Thatās how I solved the problems I ran into, and I highly recommend you do the same.
Prompt: ā*How can I clear some storage on my computer?*ā I then discuss my options.
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CLRk!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F12f869f9-6519-4870-be16-dffe585eb475_1600x690.png)
Prompt: ā*Improve the image quality of \[filename\]*ā. I used this many times for the screenshots below.
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HOGa!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdc76e64e-df51-4461-83e8-1bbd89b0b67c_1962x1598.png)
Prompt: ā*Download this YouTube video: \[URL\]*ā. Then I ignored all the warnings š¤«
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XS5F!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb4166da8-693b-432f-a509-284e4848e9de_2132x1260.png)
Prompt: ā*Download all of the images in high-res from this Google Doc: \[URL\]ā.* This paired well with item \#2.
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OsG5!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2aee1f08-2f50-4ae9-b6db-0a1dec2e7a38_2394x1066.png)
Prompt: ā*Pick a random row from this Google Sheet to select a winner for a giveaway.*ā I used this for a recent Sora 2 giveaway in our subscriber Slack community.
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2J_A!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6acf2721-9fb9-424b-9737-8ccc235e42c0_2170x770.png)
Out of the over 500 ideas you shared with me on [X](https://x.com/lennysan/status/1960417604948123663) and [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/lennyrachitsky_do-you-use-claude-code-or-some-other-cli-activity-7379238388391923713-nVnf?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAABGvmoB4S920iEQfSFO_P91nw2wPqfPoic), here are my favorites (with screenshots):
> āJust describe your project, and itāll suggest creative options across multiple TLDs (.com, .io, .dev, etc.) while verifying whatās actually available to register.ā
> āI literally just typed: look at what Iām building and identify the top 5 companies in my area that would be good for a pilot for this. Then I go to LinkedIn and message them. If itās not clear, I do this in the source directory of the code of my app so the first thing it does is figure out what it is that Iām building.ā
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!VaJx!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F01eff5de-1cb0-4601-897e-6c1b931a1ee6_2560x1704.png)
> āMy product masks sensitive data in code assistant queries. So Claude Code proposed the idea to find potential leads in the GitHub repos, by searching for the actual sensitive values in them (and whether in the repo we see some evidence of using coding agents). This was actually geniusānot only does it filter out a lot of companies, but it also provides instant value to the lead. Hereās what it came up with: repos list, priority score, even LinkedIn URL.ā
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OoPr!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5be22cc6-7cd7-4366-9e8d-cc237e8542f4_1280x428.png)
> āI download all of my meeting recordings, put them in a folder, and ask Claude Code to tell me all of the times Iāve subtly avoided conflict.ā
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!B8y3!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F489eaeb3-c920-472e-9f0b-6745759e4867_1484x1853.png)
*Pro tip: Use [Granola](https://www.granola.ai/) ([first year free](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/productpass)!), and ask Claude Code how to download your meeting notes into a folder.*
> āI sometimes use Claude Code for system diagnostics when my Mac slows down.
>
> I use it to check load averages, memory pressure, disk space, stuck processes, and swap activity, then it dives deeper to find whatās actually causing issues. It can calculate cache sizes, check Docker usage, find Time Machine snapshots eating space, etc.
>
> It is usually faster and more user-friendly than running all the commands and trying to extract the right numbers myself. It can explain what the analyses mean and why they matter, and suggests fixes with the actual commands while assessing the risk of running each of them.ā
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!H97L!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa522d04f-f7a7-4e50-8032-a8bcc8ec5392_1904x2082.png)
> āI use Claude Code to sort my invoices for taxes. It reads each file in a messy folder, renames it to āYYYY-MM-DD Vendor - Invoice - ProductOrService.pdfā, and moves it into the right folder.ā
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!eSnW!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F48d52c72-a709-4b94-beb4-c70abebdbada_739x645.png)
> āFor me, staying organized is a huge chore. The cognitive load of figuring out where to store files and keeping everything clean and up to date was insane. My hack: I run Claude Code from my home directory and use it as my personal organization assistant. Iāll ask it things like:
>
> 1. āFind duplicate files and help me decide which to keepā
> 2. āOrganize these downloads into proper foldersā
> 3. āReview my directory structure and suggest improvementsā
> 4. āFind old files I probably donāt need anymoreā
>
> Itās like having a thoughtful assistant who actually understands context and can make smart decisions about file organization. Game changer for reducing mental clutter.ā
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!run6!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa0c4a412-51f2-48c5-8295-dc0624f5ad59_1136x1242.png)
> āI built my own DIY subagent last week to help me build a slide tower for my son šā
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!N_qc!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcc626b43-9eef-4145-a899-7c88d0c2a28c_1116x1566.png)
The finished product:
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HpYh!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F79b18afd-e4d7-4c8a-bf9d-260a2f5d2ac7_1280x720.png)
> āIām a mom who voice-records ideas during morning stroller walks, not a developer. The terminal interface? Overwhelming at first. The word āCodeā . . . but what if I donāt have a ācoding projectā? After 3 weeks of struggling to organize my scattered thoughts, I tried it anyway. And discovered something wild: Claude Code isnāt about coding at all. Itās about having an AI that manages your entire processāwhatever the goal might be.
>
> How I use it:
>
> ā Fed it rambling voice notes from stroller walks
> ā It organized them into coherent research themes
> ā Wrote a full article in *my* exact voice (pulled from my own examples!)
> ā Created LinkedIn versions automatically (this post is one of them!)
> ā Everything saved and ready to publish (including grabbing a screenshot of the template repository that Iām adding here!)ā \[[Hereās the repo](https://github.com/WomenDefiningAI/claudecode-writer)\]
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!buG4!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd39ecb30-620e-4df9-bba6-7dd9d2e47990_1724x1500.png)
> āI used it to generate a full job description, hiring plan, interview plan, and rubric for a new role at Clay.
>
> I made a folder with internal Notions of our hiring material for PMs, added similar role JDs from other companies, then in planning mode asked to generate the same collateral for this new role.ā
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!F1DX!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9392251d-0b64-45e5-9d46-05fa1c7ed491_1513x893.jpeg)
> āMy current Claude Code jam is synthesizing transcripts of calls with customers to compile evidence that supports or invalidates a running tally of assumptions/requirements/hypotheses/whatever. Given MCPs to interact with other tools in our productivity stackāFireflies, Linear, Notion, etc.āitās become my hub for ongoing product research and development.ā
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!pdKp!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F14db451f-0dad-4236-b0da-efcef7ee88dd_1280x720.png)
> āI now write all of my content with Claude Code in VS Code. We iterate on an outline, it helps me improve the hook, it conducts research for me and adds citations to my outline, and it reviews and gives feedback on each section as I write. It has completely changed the way I write.ā \[[Much more on Teresaās process here](https://www.producttalk.org/21-ways-to-use-ai-at-work/)\]
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WwRa!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F07200b8d-a92d-473e-bb43-3743d22e5985_2000x752.png)
> āIām working with multiple audio files. I use Claude Code to manipulate them, convert the sample rates, rename them, and translate them from Portuguese to English.ā
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!pp1E!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbab43e55-862f-48af-9428-ec49136af776_1280x739.png)
> āThe most interesting use case weāre playing with is something I call āself-driving documentation.ā Basically, how can we give an Agent the responsibility of figuring out how/where our documentation can be better and more comprehensive. Weāve been experimenting with using Claude Code together with [Playwright](https://playwright.dev/) to automatically explore our software independently, identify knowledge gaps in our documentation, and then create those changes itself. Very promising!ā \[[More here](https://jamespember.substack.com/p/self-documenting-software)\]
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WMdJ!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2001bcaa-90d7-48a0-84d7-79f21dbf01e8_2560x1706.png)
> āI created a slash command that analyzes my journal entries + Git commits (for the past 7 days; usually I use this weekly), spots gaps between what I said vs. did, and suggests system improvements. Like having a COO that learns from my patterns.ā
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_kDg!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F61b9353c-e8a1-4c17-90a7-64fcb3e09112_1432x1774.png) |
| Shard | 74 (laksa) |
| Root Hash | 9829652344684473274 |
| Unparsed URL | com,lennysnewsletter!www,/p/everyone-should-be-using-claude-code s443 |