Getting started with Claude Cowork

Overview:

Cowork is the mode inside the Claude desktop app where Claude can work directly on the files, folders, and applications on your computer, taking on multi-step tasks rather than answering one question at a time in a chat window. The way I think about it, regular Claude in chat tells you how to do something, and Cowork actually does it on your files in front of you. Once you know how to point it at the right kind of work, the time savings on routine document work, file organisation, data pulls, and first-draft writing are significant, and the goal of the session is to get you running your first real tasks before you leave the room.

Who it’s for:

This session is built for the people in the room who already have a Claude Pro or Max subscription, who have heard the Cowork conversation enough times to know there is something there, and who want a guided start with someone next to them before they try it on their own work. It is also for the people who opened Cowork once or twice, felt the friction of not knowing where to begin, and closed it again with a plan to come back to it later.

What we’ll cover:

The session runs as a hands-on workshop, so most of the time is spent doing rather than watching. The structure I’m planning to take you through:

• ➡️ Chat versus Cowork: a clear breakdown of when to reach for one over the other, with real examples from the kinds of work you actually do, so you stop second-guessing which window to open
• ➡️ Setup on your own laptop: the system check, the folder permissions, and the first-time pairing
• ➡️ Running your first real task: I’ll walk through the anatomy of a good Cowork prompt, then you’ll run one on your own folder of work
• ➡️ Projects and persistent workspaces: how to set one up so Cowork remembers context across days and weeks for recurring work, rather than starting from zero every time

Outcomes:

You’ll walk out with:

• ➡️ A working Cowork setup on your own laptop
• ➡️ A first real task running on your own files
• ➡️ A project workspace set up for one of your recurring jobs
• ➡️ A clear mental model of when Cowork is more efficient than regular Claude in chat

If you’re already paying for Claude and you’re not getting much out of Cowork yet, this session is the shortest path to changing that.