A PM's Claude Code Setup Checklist: From Install to First PRD

The full setup guide walks through every step with screenshots and templates. This is the companion to it: the fast checklist you keep open in a second window while you work, so you can tick boxes instead of re-reading prose.

If you're new to running Claude Code as a product manager, read the setup guide first. It explains the why behind each step. This page is the what: a scannable list of everything you need to do, in order, to get from a fresh machine to a finished PRD. Most PMs run this whole sequence in under an hour, and the bulk of that is writing context files, not installing software.

Print it, bookmark it, or split your screen. Then start at the top.

What You Need Before You Start

Four prerequisites. All free. Get these in place before you run a single command.

Phase 1: Install Claude Code

• Create an Anthropic account and add a payment method (Claude Code charges per usage; most PMs spend a few dollars a day)
• Install Node.js LTS from nodejs.org, then confirm it worked
• Install Claude Code globally
• Create your project folder and open it in the terminal
• Start Claude Code and authenticate in the browser when prompted

The two commands for this phase:

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

If node --version returns a version number, Node is ready. The install command takes about 30 seconds. Then:

cd ~/my-product
claude

You're done with Phase 1 when you see the Claude Code prompt waiting for input. It has no context yet. That's the next three phases.

Phase 2: Build the Folder Structure

• Create a context/ folder for your context files
• Create a .claude/skills/ folder for downloaded skills
• Create discovery/inputs/ and discovery/outputs/ for research
• Confirm the folders exist before moving on

One command creates all of it:

mkdir -p context .claude/skills discovery/inputs discovery/outputs

You're done with Phase 2 when your project folder has a context/ folder and a .claude/skills/ folder side by side. Claude Code reads context/ automatically; .claude/skills/ is where your commands will live.

Phase 3: Write the Five Context Files

This is the phase that matters most. Context files are what make Claude Code know your product instead of guessing. Create five markdown files inside context/.

• company.md: mission, market position, stage, what you're betting on this quarter
• product.md: what the product does, what's live, what's next, key metrics
• personas.md: your 2-4 user archetypes, their jobs-to-be-done, their pain points
• competitors.md: direct competitors, where you win, how you differentiate
• goals.md: this quarter's objective, key results, what you're not prioritizing
• Create a CLAUDE.md at the project root with tone, frameworks, and output preferences

Don't aim for perfect. A thin company.md with your mission and stage beats no file at all. Start with what you know and enrich later.

If a blank page slows you down, skip the manual writing. The /welcome skill generates drafts of all five files from your website or pitch deck, and you review from there. You're done with Phase 3 when context/ holds five files and a CLAUDE.md sits at the root.

Phase 4: Install Your First Skill

A skill is a single SKILL.md file in its own folder. Install one to confirm your setup works end to end.

• Browse the skills directory and pick a first skill (/prd-generator is the right one to start with)
• Download the SKILL.md file
• Place it at .claude/skills/prd-generator/SKILL.md (the folder name matches the skill name)
• Restart Claude Code so it picks up the new skill

The folder layout for a skill looks like this:

.claude/skills/prd-generator/SKILL.md

You're done with Phase 4 when typing / in Claude Code shows /prd-generator in the list of available commands.

Phase 5: Run Your First /prd-generator

• Start Claude Code in your project folder with claude
• Run /prd-generator
• Answer its questions about the feature in plain English (a few sentences is plenty)
• Read the generated PRD and check it against your real product
• Open the saved markdown file in your project folder

Run the command:

/prd-generator

Claude Code reads your context files, asks what you're building, and returns a full PRD (problem statement, user stories, success metrics, scope, and edge cases) calibrated to your product. You never pasted a product description or specified a format. The context did that for you.

Treat the first run as a diagnostic. If the PRD reads generic, your context files are thin, so go back to Phase 3 and enrich them. The quality of the output is a direct mirror of the quality of your context.

You're Done When…

Walk this final check. If every line is true, your Claude Code setup is live and working.

• claude starts without prompting you to re-authenticate
• Your context/ folder holds all five files, and CLAUDE.md sits at the root
• Typing / shows /prd-generator in the command list
• /prd-generator produced a PRD that references your actual product, not a generic template
• The PRD saved as a markdown file you can open in your project folder

That last item is the real finish line. A PRD that sounds like your product, not a textbook, means your context files are doing their job and every skill you run from here will inherit that knowledge.

After Setup

Setup is the start, not the finish. Two moves turn a working install into a system you actually run on.

First, go deeper on context. The single biggest lever on output quality is the depth of your context files, and what context files are and why they change everything explains how each file shapes what Claude Code produces. Then learn the operating model: how to use Claude as a product manager covers the four highest-leverage workflows and how skills connect into one system.

The PM Operating System bundles the pre-built context templates, all the skills, and the folder structure from this checklist into one download. You don't need it to start (the files are plain markdown), but it skips the blank-page phase entirely. It's $39/mo with a 14-day free trial, cancel anytime: see pricing.

Download the welcome skill free →

FAQ

Is Claude Code free?

Claude Code itself is free to install, and every skill in the skills directory is a free download. You pay Anthropic for the Claude usage that runs underneath, which for most PMs is a few dollars a day. The PM Operating System, which bundles pre-built context files and all the skills together, starts at a $39/mo solo trial.

Do I need to know how to code?

No. Despite the name, you never write code. You run plain-English commands like /prd-generator and answer a few questions about your feature. The whole setup is three commands you copy and paste: node --version, the install command, and claude.

How long does setup take?

Most PMs complete this checklist in under an hour. The install and folder structure take about ten minutes. The other forty go into writing context files, which is where the output quality comes from, so it's time well spent, not overhead.

What do I run first?

Run /prd-generator on a real feature brief. It's the fastest way to confirm your context files are working: if the PRD reflects your actual product and users, your setup is solid. If it reads generic, your context files need more depth before you run other skills.

About the Author

Ron Yang is the founder of mySecond — he builds and manages PM Operating Systems for product teams. Prior to mySecond, he led product at Aha! and is a product advisor to 25+ companies.

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