Practical AI training for entrepreneurs and startup founders using Claude. Develop the ability to write business plans, build pitch decks, research markets, draft customer communications, and run lean operations with AI.
Overview
Syllabus
Module 1: Getting Started with Claude AI
- Explain how Claude works in plain language and identify the model tiers, plans, and interface
- Understand the context window, how Claude processes information, and when to start new conversations
- Practice your first Claude conversation using an entrepreneur-specific prompt
- Identify what Claude does well, what it doesn’t, and when founder judgment is essential
Module 2: Prompting Fundamentals
- Apply the five-part prompt framework: context, task, format, constraints, and examples
- Write effective prompts across five use cases: writing, summarization, analysis, research, and creative problem-solving
- Recognize and fix common prompting mistakes that produce vague or unusable output
- Practice prompting with startup scenarios: drafting a cold outreach email, summarizing a competitor’s website, and writing a company description for a pitch deck
Module 3: Working with Files & Documents
- Upload and analyze images, PDFs, spreadsheets, and documents directly in Claude
- Use Claude to extract, compare, and summarize information from uploaded files
- Work with startup-specific file types: business plans, pitch decks, financial projections, market research reports, and customer survey results
- Complete a hands-on file analysis exercise using provided startup sample documents
Module 4: Projects & Knowledge Bases
- Explain how Projects use custom instructions and knowledge bases to organize ongoing work
- Write effective Project instructions that encode your role, audience, format preferences, and rules
- Upload reference documents and understand how RAG retrieves relevant content
- Create a startup Project for your business with business plans, competitive research, and brand guidelines
Module 5: Artifacts, Styles, Memory & Usage Management
- Create reusable deliverables with Artifacts and edit them directly or through conversation
- Build custom Styles that match your professional communication voice
- Configure Memory to retain key context about you and your work across conversations
- Apply usage management techniques to extend your plan value
Module 6: Advanced Prompting & AI Tool Selection
- Use role-based prompting, chain-of-thought reasoning, and multi-step workflows
- Apply Extended Thinking, web search, and the You Ask Me technique for complex tasks
- Compare Claude with ChatGPT, Copilot, and Gemini to choose the right tool for each task
- Practice advanced prompting with startup scenarios: stress-testing a business model, building a go-to-market plan, and researching a new market opportunity
Module 7: Introduction to Claude Cowork
- Explain what Cowork is and how it differs from the claude.ai chat interface
- Read, write, and manage files from your desktop environment
- Configure guardrails, file permissions, and network settings for safe use
- Understand prompt injection risks and how to protect against them
Module 8: Context System, Connectors & Integrations
- Build foundational context files and set Global Instructions for every Cowork session
- Connect Claude to Slack, Google Drive, Gmail, and workplace tools
- Use Claude in Excel and PowerPoint with the Office add-ins
- Configure your context system and connections for startup workflows, including Excel modeling and investor presentations
Module 9: AI for Entrepreneurs — Core Workflows
- Use Claude and web search for market research, competitor analysis, and customer validation
- Draft and refine business plan sections, executive summaries, and pitch deck narratives
- Build customer outreach and sales communications: cold emails, follow-up sequences, demo scripts, and partnership proposals
- Create marketing content: website copy, launch announcements, social posts, email campaigns, product descriptions
- Produce financial projections, investor update templates, and operational documentation
- Complete a hands-on lab producing a multi-document startup content package
Module 10: Capstone — Build Your Startup Claude System
- Audit your daily and weekly tasks to identify where Claude creates leverage
- Configure a personalized startup Claude system with Projects, context files, Styles, and tool connections
- Run a complete end-to-end workflow: market research brief, pitch deck narrative, outreach sequence, investor update
- Create a Week 1 action plan for integrating Claude into your daily operations
Taught by
Reid Johnson and David Sellers