1.1 Introduction

Time: ~15 minutes

What You'll Learn

• How the interactive course format works
• How to select and switch folders in Cowork
• Choose your scenario based on your background
• What to expect from the rest of the module

Key Concepts

This lesson introduces you to the unique format of this course: learning by doing inside Claude itself.

Unlike video courses where you watch and then try to apply, here you:

1. Read a brief explanation from Claude
2. Immediately practice the skill
3. Get feedback and move on

Your Scenario

You'll step into a realistic role — one that matches your professional background. Claude will ask what you do for work and recommend a scenario, or you can pick your own adventure:

• Event Planner? Rescue a community festival from chaos
• Retail/Small Business? Save a struggling independent bookstore
• Tech/Product? Recover a botched app launch
• Restaurant/Hospitality? Modernize a classic diner
• Nonprofit? Piece together a grant application under deadline
• Marketing/CRM? Fix a broken loyalty program
• Real Estate? Inherit a top agent's book of business with 47 active leads
• Freelancer/Consultant? Take over a departing consultant's client projects
• HR/People Ops? Step into a startup with no documentation and a compliance audit looming

Whichever you choose, you'll dive into messy files, uncover insights, and create real deliverables. Same skills, different flavor.

How to Start

Open Claude Desktop and say:

start lesson 1.1

Claude will ask your name, learn about your work, and help you pick the perfect scenario!

Skills You'll Use Later

• Selecting folders (used throughout)
• Understanding course structure (helps with pacing)
• Getting comfortable with the conversational format