Product Management OS Setup

You purchased the Product Management Operating System — here's how to get it running in under 5 minutes.

Step 1: Install Claude Code

The Product Management OS runs inside Claude Code — a free app where you chat with Claude and it works directly with your files. It's different from claude.ai (the browser chat). Think of it as an AI coworker that lives in a project folder.

You'll also need a Claude Pro ($20/mo) or Max ($100/mo) subscription — claude.com/pricing

Pick whichever version fits your style:

Option A: Claude Code Desktop (Recommended)

Best for most product managers. Visual interface, no terminal needed.

1. Go to claude.ai/download
2. Download the app for your operating system (Mac, Windows, or Linux)
3. Install it like any other app (drag to Applications on Mac, run installer on Windows)
4. Open the app and sign in with your Anthropic account

Verify it works: You should see a chat interface with a text input at the bottom. Type any message — if Claude responds, you're set.

Option B: Claude Code CLI

Best for developers who prefer the terminal.

Prerequisites: Node.js 18+ — check with node -v. If missing, install from nodejs.org

npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

Verify it installed:

claude --version

If you see a version number, you're good. If you see "command not found", close and reopen your terminal, then try again.

First-time login:

claude

Follow the prompts to sign in with your Anthropic account in the browser.

Already have Claude Code installed? Skip to Step 2.

Step 2: Download and Unzip

1. After checkout, you received a download on the confirmation page (and a link via email)
2. Download the ZIP file to your computer
3. Unzip it to a folder you'll remember (e.g., Documents/second-pm-os/)

Important: Work from the unzipped folder, not directly from the ZIP file.

Step 3: Open Your Product Management OS Folder in Claude Code

This is the key step — Claude Code needs to "see" your Product Management OS folder to access your skills and context.

If using Claude Code Desktop:

1. Open Claude Code Desktop
2. Click Open Project (or the folder icon in the top left)
3. Navigate to and select your second-pm-os folder
4. Claude Code opens with your folder name in the top bar

If using Claude Code CLI:

cd ~/Documents/second-pm-os
claude

How to verify it worked: Type / in the chat input. You should see a list of available skills like /welcome, /prd-generator, /roadmap-builder. If you see these, your Product Management OS is loaded correctly.

Step 4: Run /welcome

In the chat, type:

/welcome

This does three things:

1. Verifies your setup — confirms Claude can see your files
2. Personalizes your context — asks about your company and product, then fills in your context files
3. Shows you what's available — lists your skills and how to use them

After /welcome completes, every skill you run will automatically reference your company, product, users, and competitors.

What's Inside

second-pm-os/
├── context/                    # Your company, product, personas, competitors
│   └── inputs/                 # Drop docs here for context enrichment
├── .claude/skills/             # 70+ product management skills (slash commands)
├── workflows/                  # Agent team workflows
├── discovery/inputs/           # Drop research here (interviews, surveys)
├── strategy/inputs/            # Drop competitive intel here
├── specs/inputs/               # Drop existing specs here
├── stakeholder-updates/inputs/ # Drop meeting notes, updates here
├── launch/inputs/              # Launch planning materials
└── analytics/inputs/           # Metrics and experiment data

Try Your First Skill

/prd-generator

Claude automatically uses your context files — every output is personalized to your company and product.

More to try:

• /executive-update-generator — Write executive updates
• /competitive-profile-builder — Analyze a competitor
• /roadmap-builder — Build a quarterly roadmap

See all commands

Common First-Time Issues

Still stuck? See Troubleshooting or email ron@mysecond.ai.

Next Steps

• Terminology — Understand skills, workflows, templates, and context
• Enrich Your Context — Make outputs even more personalized
• Troubleshooting — Common issues and fixes