If you're new to AI and can't tell where to start, start here. Turn on memory, tell the AI who you are, do your work inside projects, then add skills. I use Claude Cowork for all four, and ChatGPT has its own version of each step. You also get a fill-in template for your about-me, ready to paste.
About me - I'm [your name], [your role] at [your business or team]. - I work with [who your clients or customers are]. - Right now I'm focused on [your main goal this quarter]. - I work in [the tools you use every day, e.g. Gmail, Google Calendar, Notion]. How I want answers - Give me the answer first, then the detail. - Keep it short, [e.g. under 200 words], unless I ask for more. - Write the way I talk: [e.g. plain and direct, or warm and casual]. - Use [US or UK] spelling. - If you're not sure of a fact, number or date, say so instead of guessing. What I don't want - These words: [e.g. "leverage", "dive in", "game-changer"]. - [Other things you dislike, e.g. long bullet lists, emojis, exclamation marks]. - Never send an email or post anything without asking me first.
When people talk about AI employees, most of the time they mean skills inside a project. A Marketing project might hold one skill for social posts, one for the newsletter and one for campaign plans. Each skill runs the same marketing workflow every time you call it.
Start with four settings before you ask for anything big. Turn on memory, write a short about-me in your instructions, make one project for each area of work, then add skills for the tasks you repeat. In Claude, memory is under Settings > Memory and your about-me goes in Instructions for Claude.
Open Settings, then Memory, and turn on Generate memory from chats. Memory is on by default on the Free, Pro and Max plans. On Team and Enterprise it starts off, and an owner has to enable it. Each project keeps its own memory, separate from your other chats.
A project keeps the files, instructions and memory for one area of work together, like one client or your marketing. In Claude Cowork, click Projects in the left sidebar, then +. Cowork projects need a paid plan (Pro, Max, Team or Enterprise) and the latest Claude Desktop app. Claude chat projects are on every plan, with a limit of five on Free.
A skill is a workflow you repeat, saved as instructions the AI follows the same way every time, like creating a monthly invoice. In Claude, skills are on every plan and live in Customize > Skills. On Free, Pro and Max, first turn on Code execution and file creation under Settings > Capabilities.
Yes, for three of the four on any plan. Memory and custom instructions are in Settings > Personalization, and projects start from New project in the sidebar. Skills are only in ChatGPT Business, Enterprise, Healthcare and Edu workspaces, so on a personal plan put your workflow instructions in a project's settings.
A prompt that interviews you and writes your Instructions for Claude, and the prompt I'd use to build a monthly invoice skill like mine. Plus what to put in your first projects.
I want to write my Instructions for Claude: a short block of text that tells you who I am and how I like to work. Interview me, one question at a time. Ask about: - my name, my role and my business - who my clients or customers are - what I'm focused on this quarter - the tools I work in every day - how I like answers: length, format, tone - what I don't want you to do When you have enough, write it in under 200 words, in the first person, with short bullet points under the headings "About me", "How I want answers" and "How I work". Don't add anything I didn't tell you.
Help me build a skill for my monthly client invoice. Use it when I say "create the invoice for [client name]" inside this project. Steps: 1. Read my timesheet for the month from [where it lives, e.g. the Timesheets folder or a Google Sheet name]. 2. Total the hours for [client name] at [hourly rate] and list each line with its date and task. 3. Create the invoice as a PDF using [my invoice template, or these details: my business name, address, payment terms, invoice number format]. 4. Draft an email to [client contact and email address] with the subject "[Month] invoice from [my business]". Attach the PDF if you can. If you can't, tell me where you saved it. 5. Show me the invoice and the email draft. Never send anything until I say "send it". If the timesheet is missing or the hours look wrong, stop and tell me. Ask me any questions you need, then save this as a skill.
Prompts, step-by-step guides and checklists you can put to work today.