Playbook

An operating playbook for non-technical founders working with Claude Code.

Most Claude Code configs are built for developers. This one is built for operators — people who use Claude as their technical co-founder to build and run products without writing code themselves.

What's included

| File | What it does | |------|-------------| | CLAUDE.md | Core rules: quarterback model, session discipline, verification, context management | | commands/start.md | /start — session kickoff with project briefing | | commands/end.md | /end — session closeout with handoff documentation | | commands/plan.md | /plan — brainstorm + plan in one command (auto-detects complexity) | | commands/debug.md | /debug — 4-step systematic debugging | | commands/quick.md | /quick — lightweight mode for small fixes | | commands/handoff.md | /handoff — generates parallel session prompts (Claude invokes this, not you) | | settings.json | Permission allowlist for common tools | | update.sh | Handles updates when a new Playbook version is available | | VERSION | Current Playbook version number | | CHANGELOG.md | What changed in each version (only impactful updates) |

Install

Option 1: npm (recommended)

npx playbook-ai install

That's it. Works without installing anything globally.

Option 2: Plugin

/plugin install playbook

Run this inside Claude Code. The plugin gives you the same commands as skills (/playbook:start, /playbook:end, etc.) and includes a SessionStart hook that kicks off your session automatically.

Option 3: Manual (git clone)

git clone https://github.com/bluemax713/playbook.git
cd playbook
chmod +x install.sh
./install.sh

Don't have git? Download the latest release, unzip it, and run ./install.sh from the folder. Updates will still work — they'll use direct downloads instead of git.

After installing

1. Edit ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md — Replace generic references with your name and preferences
2. Set up MCP servers — Connect your project management tool (ClickUp, Linear, etc.), database, and any other services in ~/.claude.json
3. Create WORK_LOG.md in your project root — this is the cross-session handoff document
4. Run /start in Claude Code to verify everything works

Updates

Playbook checks for updates automatically every time you run /start. If a new version is available, you'll see a summary of what's new and can choose to update or skip. No surprises — you're always in control.

Your customizations are always safe. Updates will never delete or overwrite anything you've personalized:

• Commands update automatically (they're standard across all users)
• CLAUDE.md is never touched without your explicit permission — if the new version has changes, you choose: keep yours, use the new Playbook version, or let Claude merge both together while preserving your customizations
• settings.json keeps your existing permissions intact — new ones are suggested for your approval, never forced

Everything is transparent. Check settings.json to see exactly what's auto-approved. The Playbook source is open on GitHub — every command, every permission, and every update mechanism is visible.

How it works

The quarterback model

Claude proposes plays, you call the shots. Claude will always present options and wait for your approval before making changes. You set priorities, Claude executes.

Session lifecycle

Every session follows a consistent pattern:

• /start — Claude reads context, checks your PM tool, presents a briefing
• Work happens — one feature/task per session to prevent sprawl
• /end — Claude updates documentation, cleans up, commits, and presents a summary

Commands

• /plan — Before complex work. Claude assesses whether brainstorming is needed (multiple approaches? tradeoffs?) and either explores options first or jumps straight to an implementation plan. Always waits for your approval.
• /debug — When something is broken. Follows: reproduce, isolate root cause, fix, verify. No guessing.
• /quick — For small fixes that don't need the full session ceremony.
• /handoff — Claude uses this (not you) when a task should run in a separate terminal with fresh context.

Context management

Claude proactively manages session quality:

• Saves state incrementally during long sessions (not just at the end)
• Warns you when context is getting heavy and suggests strategies
• Uses subagents for parallel work automatically
• Generates parallel session prompts when a fresh context would produce better results

Recommended MCP Servers

MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers give Claude direct access to your tools — no copy-pasting between apps. Install the ones that match your stack:

| Category | MCP Server | What it does | |----------|-----------|-------------| | Google Workspace | Google Workspace CLI | Gmail, Drive, Calendar, Docs, Sheets, Chat, Admin — one MCP for all Google services | | Project Management | ClickUp, Linear, Notion | Read/update tasks, check priorities, create issues | | Database | Supabase, Neon, PlanetScale | Run queries, apply migrations, inspect schema | | Analytics | Metabase, Posthog | Query dashboards, pull metrics | | Automation | n8n, Make, Zapier | Read/update workflows, check execution logs | | Code Hosting | GitHub | PRs, issues, code review | | Communication | Slack, Discord | Read/send messages, monitor channels | | Research | Perplexity | Real-time web search, deep research, current best practices |

Authorize broadly, expose everything. When setting up an MCP server that uses OAuth (like Google Workspace), grant all the scopes/permissions upfront — even for services you don't plan to use immediately. Re-authorizing mid-session requires a browser flow and breaks your workflow. For the Google Workspace CLI specifically, use -s all --tool-mode compact to expose every service while keeping the tool list manageable. You can always ask Claude which services are available if you're not sure what's possible.

The rule of thumb: If you find yourself repeatedly switching to another app to copy data, check status, or trigger an action — that's a sign you should connect it as an MCP server. Tell Claude "I keep having to manually check X in Y tool" and it will help you evaluate whether an MCP connection would save time.

MCP servers are configured in ~/.claude.json (global) or in project-level settings. See Anthropic's MCP docs for setup instructions.

Customizing

This playbook is a starting point. Customize CLAUDE.md to fit your workflow:

• Add tool-specific sections (database, CI/CD, deployment platforms)
• Add project-specific rules in project-level CLAUDE.md files
• Add new commands in ~/.claude/commands/ for your recurring workflows

Tip: You don't need to do any of this manually. Just tell Claude what you want — "set up the Slack MCP server," "add a rule about always running tests," "create a new command for deployments" — and Claude will handle the file edits and configuration for you. Or even just ask Claude, after installing this Playbook, to "/plan review README.md and walk me through everything."

License

MIT