Mastering Claude: From First Chat to Power User
Getting average answers from Claude? Set it up in 30 minutes so every chat already knows your role, audience and standards
Beginner · 19 lessons · $47
Most people use Claude like a search box and get average answers. In this course you will set it up properly, learn the prompting techniques Anthropic itself recommends, and build Projects, Artifacts and Skills that turn Claude into a dependable colleague for reports, finance analysis, marketing and SOPs. Every lesson ends with a task you complete on your own real work.
What you will be able to do
- Choose the right Claude plan using a simple decision tree and your own usage log
- Configure Instructions for Claude, memory, capabilities and privacy settings in under 30 minutes
- Write clear briefs using context, examples and XML-style structure that give you the format you want
- Analyze long documents, PDFs and spreadsheets with page references and spot checks you can trust
- Build Projects, Artifacts and custom Skills that make repeat work faster and more consistent
- Use web search, Research and connectors to get current, cited answers grounded in your own tools
- Run multi-step agentic tasks with clear guardrails and understand where Claude Code fits
- Apply a traffic light data policy and proven workflows for reports, finance, marketing and SOPs
Who it is for
- Professionals who use Claude occasionally and want consistently better results
- Business owners who want Claude to take real work off their plate
- Finance, operations and marketing people who write reports, analysis and content every week
- Team leads deciding which Claude plan and settings to roll out safely
- Anyone moving to Claude from another AI assistant who wants to learn what is different
- Non-developers curious about agentic features and Claude Code without the jargon
Curriculum
Module 1: Get Set Up Right: Plans, Settings and Your First Wins
- Meet Claude: What It Is, Where It Runs and How to Think About It (12 min)
- Choose the Right Plan: Free, Pro, Max, Team or Enterprise (12 min)
- Your First 30 Minutes: The Settings That Make Every Chat Better (15 min)
Module 2: Prompt Claude Like a Pro
- The Clear Brief: Instructions Claude Can Actually Follow (14 min)
- Examples and XML-Style Structure: Getting Exactly the Format You Want (14 min)
- Working With Long Documents: Contracts, Reports and Board Packs (14 min)
- Iterate Like an Editor: Refining, Critiquing and Using Thinking (13 min)
Module 3: Your Claude Workspace: Projects, Files, Artifacts and Skills
- Projects: Build a Workspace That Remembers Your Context (15 min)
- Files, PDFs and Data Analysis: Turning Spreadsheets Into Answers (15 min)
- Artifacts: Create Documents, Visuals and Small Apps You Can Share (15 min)
- Skills: Teach Claude Your Way of Working Once (13 min)
Module 4: Research, Connectors and Agentic Claude
- Web Search and Research: Current Answers With Citations (14 min)
- Connectors and Memory: Let Claude Work With Your Tools and Remember (14 min)
- Claude on Desktop, Mobile and in Your Browser (13 min)
- Agentic Claude for Non-Developers: Multi-Step Tasks and Claude Code (15 min)
Module 5: Safe Use at Work and Real Business Workflows
- Privacy, Data Settings and Safe Use at Work (15 min)
- Workflow: Reports and Finance Analysis (16 min)
- Workflow: Marketing Content and SOPs (15 min)
- Your Claude Operating System: A Weekly Rhythm That Sticks (13 min)
What you get
- 19 practical lessons across 5 modules
- 70+ copy-ready prompts and templates inside the lessons
- Downloadable PDF workbook with a 35-prompt Claude library
- Project setup templates and a 'which feature for which job' cheat sheet
- 5 module quizzes and a 15-question final exam
- Certificate of completion
- Lifetime access to course updates
Bonuses
- The Claude Power Prompt Vault: 50 Advanced Prompts ($27 value). Fifty advanced prompts that go beyond the course workbook, built around tagged structure, quote-first analysis, self-checks, Artifacts and agentic briefs. Each one is ready to paste, with clear placeholders and notes on the settings that get the best result.
- The Claude Projects and Skills Starter Kit ($37 value). Six new Project instruction templates for vendors and procurement, contract review prep, product launches, events and webinars, learning and personal finance, plus six Skill templates written in the instruction-file format Claude uses. None of them repeat the course workbook or the department playbooks, so every template is new ground.
- The Claude Fix-It Cheat Sheet: 40 Problems and Exact Fixes ($19 value). A dense quick reference that diagnoses the 40 most common Claude frustrations, from generic answers and hitting usage limits to Artifacts that will not run and Skills that never trigger. Each row gives the likely cause and the exact fix, with a settings map and power phrases on the last page.
Your instructor
Shihan Sheriff, FCMA, CGMA, CPA (Australia), MBA (General), MBA (Data Science & AI), UAECA, CAAB, CAIS, is VP of Finance at Nomod (Y Combinator-backed), CFO at Esanjo and a four-time Amazon bestselling author. He shares practical, plain-English ways to use AI in finance, business and life.
14-day money-back guarantee on all one-time digital products. If it is not right for you, email within 14 days of purchase for a full refund. Implementation and Done-For-You services are not refundable. Subscriptions are covered by the subscription terms. Read the refund policy
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this course made by Anthropic?
No. This is an independent course from AI for Business and Life, part of SS Coaching, LLC. It is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by Anthropic. Claude is a product of Anthropic.
Do I need a paid Claude plan?
No. You can complete most lessons on the Free plan. Some features, such as Research, Claude in Chrome, Claude Code and the Excel add-in, require a paid plan, and the lessons tell you clearly when that is the case so you can decide whether upgrading makes sense for you.
Do I need any technical or coding skills?
No. Everything is taught in plain English with copy-ready prompts. The Claude Code lesson is written for non-developers and focuses on what it can do for you and how to use it safely.
How current is the information?
Features, plans and prices were checked against Anthropic's official help center and pricing page in October 2026. Claude changes often, so menu labels may shift; the workflows and prompting principles still apply, and the course is updated as major changes land.
Does this course promise time savings or business results?
No. Results depend on your work, your inputs and how consistently you apply the methods. The course gives you the techniques and a simple log so you can measure your own results honestly.
How long does it take?
About 6 hours including the action steps. Most people complete one module per week, applying each lesson to real work as they go.
Who is this course NOT for?
It is not for developers who want API, SDK or software engineering depth; Claude Code is covered only at a non-developer level. It is not for anyone looking for a promise of income or time savings. And it is not for people who only want to read about AI: every lesson ends with a hands-on task on your own work, and you will get the most from the course if you do them.
What will I have done after the first 15 minutes?
In Lesson 1 you run one copy-ready prompt that makes Claude interview you about your biggest time drain and then suggest three specific ways to take part of it off your plate. You finish with at least one idea you can try the same week, saved in a 'Claude wins' note.
I already use ChatGPT or Gemini. Is this just the same material?
No. The prompting principles transfer, but this course is built on Claude's own features and Anthropic's own guidance: XML-style tags, quotes-first long-document analysis, Projects, Artifacts, Skills, Research, connectors and Claude's privacy settings. If you switch between assistants, the 'which feature for which job' cheat sheet shows where Claude is the better fit.