by CurieLabs · Freely shared

The AI Builder's
Playbook

For everyone who has an idea and wants to build and run it — without ever writing code.

18
Complete Prompts
8
Guided Parts
0
Lines of Code
Read the Guide → ↓ Download CLAUDE.md
How it works

Create a folder. Open a session. Build.

The entire process runs inside a single project folder. Claude reads your project blueprint at the start of every session and updates it as you go. No copying, no pasting documents — the project documents itself.

01
Create your project folder
Make a folder for your project. Copy the CLAUDE.md template inside it. This file is the living blueprint — Claude keeps it updated throughout the build.
02
Open Claude in that folder
Point your Claude session at the project folder. Claude finds CLAUDE.md automatically and reads it before every session. If it can't find it, it tells you.
03
Follow the prompts — in order
Run Steps 1–5 to set up the project. Then repeat the build loop: Open → Build → Run → Test → Close. The guide gives you the exact words to use at every step.
What's inside

Eight parts. Every stage covered.

From first idea to shipped product — and everything in between when things get hard.

Part One
Starting a New Project
Requirements → Architecture → MVP Scope → Build Plan → Initialize CLAUDE.md. The five steps that turn an idea into a project ready to build.
Steps 01–05
Part Two
Running Each Session
The build cycle. Open the session, build the next piece, get the exact commands to run and test it yourself, close and update CLAUDE.md. Repeat.
Steps 06–09 · The Build Loop
Bridge
The Eleven Principles
A quick-reference recap of every principle before moving into advanced territory. The build cycle summary: Open → Build → Test → Run → Close.
Reference card
Power Tools
When Things Go Wrong
Four debugging techniques: copy the exact error, screenshot it, read the logs, set debugging traps. Plus session recovery, getting unstuck, and consolidation.
Steps 10–13
Power Tools
Reference & Prompt Index
Every prompt in the Playbook indexed by section and use case. Find the right prompt instantly without rereading the guide.
Step 14
Power Tools
Your Project Memory File
The complete CLAUDE.md template with every section explained. Copy it, put it in your project folder, and let Claude fill it in as you build.
Step 15 · Full template included
Power Tools
Your Workspace
Folder organization, ports, API keys and .env files, running multiple projects in parallel without confusion.
Steps 16–18
Power Tools
Version Control
Git and GitHub explained without jargon. Prompts to have Claude set it up, commit, push, and roll back — you never need to touch the command line.
Steps 19–21
Power Tools
Code Quality & Auditing
Prompts for a full security audit, dependency review, cost estimation at scale, and folding findings back into CLAUDE.md as a remediation plan.
Steps 22–24
Sample Prompts

Copy. Paste. Build.

Every prompt is complete, reusable, and ready to use. Blue text is where you fill in your specifics — everything else stays exactly as written.

Session Open — start of every working session
Read CLAUDE.md. If you cannot find it, stop and tell me before doing anything else.
Confirm: what this project is, which Build Plan phase we're in, and today's goal:
[YOUR ONE-SENTENCE GOAL FOR THIS SESSION]
Do not begin work until I confirm your understanding is correct.
Build the Next Piece — the core loop
Read CLAUDE.md. We are working on: [current phase and goal]
Build the next component: [what you're adding this iteration]
When done: tell me what changed, give me the exact terminal commands to run and test
this, tell me what success looks like, and update Current State in CLAUDE.md.
Session Close — end of every session
This session is ending. Update CLAUDE.md directly: current state, build plan
progress, any debugging history, new decisions, what's next, and a session log entry.
Write all updates now. Confirm when done.
See all 18 prompts in the Guide →
🤖
New · Cowork Skill
The Playbook Coach

Install once in Cowork and Claude becomes your active coach — not waiting to be asked, but reading your project state and telling you exactly what comes next. Guides you through every step from first idea to shipped product.

Detects where you areReads CLAUDE.md and announces your current step
Guides the interviewRequirements, architecture, MVP — one question at a time
Runs the build loopBuild → run commands → confirm → next piece
Handles debuggingLogs, screenshots, traps — knows when to use each
How to install: Download the file, then double-click it. Claude Code opens and installs the skill automatically. Done.
↓ Install the Playbook Coach
📄

The CLAUDE.md Template

The project blueprint the coach reads. Put it in your project folder before your first session — Claude fills it in as you work through each step.

↓ Download CLAUDE_TEMPLATE.md Read the Full Guide
The Eleven Principles

The foundation everything is built on.

01
Requirements before design
Know exactly what you're building before designing anything.
02
Design before building
Get architecture in writing, with reasoning, before code starts.
03
Scope the MVP explicitly
Decide what's in and out before building starts. Say it in one sentence.
04
Build from a plan
Each phase has concrete done criteria. Meet them before moving on.
05
Build incrementally
One piece at a time. Confirm it works before adding the next.
06
CLAUDE.md is the project
If it isn't in the document, it doesn't exist. Update it every session.
07
Use authoritative sources
Fetch live documentation before any API or external service work.
08
Lock decisions with reasoning
Record not just what you decided, but why — so it can't be undone accidentally.
09
Document failures immediately
A failure recorded is a failure that happens only once.
10
Build the feedback loop
The project moves forward along the plan — never sideways or backwards unless explicitly updated.
11
Understand before fixing
Never ask for a fix before you understand the root cause.