Yakoub - Machine Learning Engineer

Claude Code has revolutionized AI-assisted development, but most developers are barely scratching the surface of its true potential. After analyzing the workflow of Alex Finn, who built a $300,000/year AI app using Claude Code, I'm sharing the 8 game-changing tricks that will transform you into a Claude Code master.

These aren't just tips—they're battle-tested strategies that have eliminated bugs, accelerated development by 10x, and created production-ready, secure applications. If you're ready to go from Claude Code novice to absolute savage, buckle up.

🚀 The Claude Code Mastery Framework

📋

Rules File

🎯

Plan Mode

🔒

Security

🧠

Learning

🎯 Trick #1: The 7 Essential Rules That Change Everything

The difference between amateur and professional Claude Code usage starts with your claude.md file. This isn't just configuration—it's your secret weapon for bug-free, task-oriented development.

The 7 Claude Code Rules

1. Think through problems, read codebase, write plan to tasks/todo.md

2. Create checkable todo items for every task

3. Get user verification before starting work

4. Mark items complete and provide high-level explanations

5. Keep changes simple and minimal

6. Prioritize simplicity over complexity

7. Add review section with change summary

These rules transform Claude Code from a simple AI assistant into a methodical, reliable development partner. By forcing task-based thinking, you eliminate the chaos of unstructured development and create a traceable audit trail of every change.

🎯 Trick #2: Master Plan Mode Like a Pro

Plan mode is Claude Code's most powerful feature, but most developers use it wrong. Here's the game-changing approach:

The Two-Model Strategy

🧠 Opus for Planning

/mod opus

Superior reasoning and architectural thinking for comprehensive planning phases.

⚡ Sonnet for Execution

/mod sonnet

Fast, efficient execution that saves money while delivering quality code.

The Plan Mode Workflow

Step-by-Step Process

1 Hit Shift + Tab twice to enter plan mode

2 Switch to Opus: /mod opus

3 Describe your feature in detail

4 Review and approve the generated plan

5 Switch to Sonnet: /mod sonnet

6 Execute the plan step by step

"Overuse plan mode. I found when I fire from the hip without plan mode, it messes up more than it doesn't. When I combine my rule set with plan mode before every step, Claude Code has been flawless."

💾 Trick #3: GitHub as Your Checkpoint System

Unlike Cursor's built-in checkpoints, Claude Code requires a different approach. The solution? Transform GitHub into your ultimate safety net.

The Checkpoint Decision Tree

🔄 The Commit-Happy Workflow

✅ Code Works & Looks Good

→ Immediate commit to GitHub

Make 20+ commits daily for granular checkpoints

❌ Code Fails or Looks Bad

→ Revert to last commit

Start fresh with Claude Code from known good state

This approach eliminates the frustration of lost progress and creates a reliable development rhythm. New to GitHub? Ask Claude Code to set it up for you—it'll handle the entire workflow perfectly.

🖼️ Trick #4: Visual Debugging and Inspiration

Claude Code's image recognition capabilities are massively underutilized. Here's how to leverage them effectively:

Two Power Use Cases

💡 Design Inspiration

• Screenshot existing UI you want to emulate
• Drag image into Claude Code
• Prompt: "Build me UI that looks like this"
• Claude analyzes and recreates the design

🐛 Bug Fixing

• Screenshot the broken UI or error
• Upload to Claude Code
• Prompt: "Fix this error" or "Make this prettier"
• Get instant, context-aware solutions

📸 Pro Tip: Screenshot Shortcuts

Mac: Cmd + Shift + 4 → Drag across screen → Auto-saved image ready for Claude

🧹 Trick #5: Strategic Context Management

The /clear command is your secret weapon for maintaining Claude Code's performance and reducing costs. Most developers ignore this—don't be one of them.

Why /clear Matters

🧠 Reduces Hallucinations

Less context = more focused, accurate responses

💰 Saves Money

Smaller context windows = fewer tokens = lower costs

⚡ Improves Performance

Fresh context = faster response times

When to Use /clear

After Claude completes a decent-sized task
When all tasks in a task file are finished
Before starting a new, unrelated feature
When you notice response quality degrading

If you're on the $17 or $100 monthly plans, strategic /clear usage can make the difference between running out of tokens mid-month and having capacity for the entire month.

🔒 Trick #6: Security-First Development (Non-Negotiable)

This is where most AI-assisted developers fail catastrophically. Shipping insecure code isn't just embarrassing—it's dangerous and expensive.

⚠️ The Reality Check

Vibe coders are having their apps hacked and taken down because AI doesn't automatically write secure code. Security isn't built into the AI—you must enforce it.

• API keys exposed in frontend code

• Passwords stored in plain text

• No input validation or sanitization

• Missing authentication checks

The Security-First Workflow

🛡️ The Four-Step Process

1 📋 Plan - Design with security in mind

2 🏗️ Build - Implement the feature

3 🔒 Security Check - Mandatory audit

4 🧠 Learn - Understand the implementation

The Security Check Prompt

Copy this prompt and use it religiously:

Please check through all the code you just wrote and make sure it follows security best practices. Make sure there are no sensitive information in the front end and there are no vulnerabilities that can be exploited.

"If you're a brand new coder, you must must must do this a thousand times during your coding sessions. It's impossible to do this too much."

🎓 Trick #7: Learn While You Build

You don't need to be a developer to use Claude Code effectively, but understanding what it's building makes your prompts infinitely better.

The Learning Prompt

After every security check, use this prompt:

Please explain the functionality and code you just built out in detail. Walk me through what you changed and how it works. Act like you're a senior engineer teaching me code.

Why This Transforms Your Development

Better Prompts: Understanding data flow enables more precise requests
Faster Debugging: Knowing the architecture helps you spot issues quickly
Informed Decisions: Make better technical choices with deeper understanding
Reduced Dependency: Gradually become less reliant on AI assistance

💡 Pro Insight

The better you understand your codebase, the more specific and effective your prompts become. This creates a positive feedback loop of improved development velocity.

🧘 Trick #8: Productive Breaks and Mental Health

This might be the most important trick of all. Claude Code is incredibly powerful, but it takes time to work. How you spend that time determines your overall productivity and mental health.

The Doom Scroll Problem

⚠️ The Productivity Killer

• Claude Code works for 15-30 minutes

• You get distracted and doom scroll

• 2 hours later, you watch YouTube videos

• Mental state deteriorates

• Actual productivity plummets

The Game-Changing Solution

Create a dedicated AI chat with this prompt:

When I am coding with AI, there are long breaks between me giving commands to the AI. Typically, I spend that time doom scrolling, which distracts me and puts me in a bad mental state. I'd like to use that time now to chat with you and generate new ideas, and also reflect on my other ideas and businesses and content.

The Productive Break Workflow

✅ Instead of Doom Scrolling

• Open your dedicated AI chat
• Share what Claude Code is working on
• Bounce ideas off the AI
• Plan next development steps
• Generate new business ideas

🎯 Results

• 4000% productivity increase
• 30+ new app ideas generated
• Better mental health
• Maintained focus and energy
• Continuous creative flow

"Because of this chat, I've come up with 30 other ideas for apps that I'm now building out that will eventually start making me money. If you're doom scrolling while Claude Code works, you're seriously screwing up."

🚀 Putting It All Together: The Master Workflow

Here's how to integrate all 8 tricks into a seamless, powerful development process:

🎯 The Complete Claude Code Workflow

🔧 Setup Phase

• Install the 7 Rules in claude.md
• Set up GitHub repository
• Create dedicated AI chat for breaks

📋 Planning Phase

• Enter plan mode (Shift + Tab twice)
• Switch to Opus (/mod opus)
• Detail your feature requirements

🏗️ Development Phase

• Switch to Sonnet (/mod sonnet)
• Execute plan step by step
• Use /clear between major tasks

🔒 Quality Assurance

• Run security check prompt
• Use learning prompt
• Commit to GitHub if successful

🎯 Key Takeaways for Claude Code Mastery

1. Structure is Everything

The 7 Rules file transforms Claude Code from chaotic to methodical. This alone will eliminate most bugs.

2. Plan Mode is Non-Negotiable

Use Opus for planning, Sonnet for execution. Overuse plan mode—it's impossible to plan too much.

3. Security Cannot Be Optional

Run security checks after every feature. AI doesn't write secure code by default—you must enforce it.

4. Learning Amplifies Everything

Understanding your code makes your prompts better, creating a positive feedback loop of improved development.

5. Mental Health = Productivity

Use Claude Code's working time productively. A dedicated AI chat for breaks can increase productivity by 4000%.

🚀 Your Next Steps

These 8 tricks aren't just tips—they're a complete transformation of how you approach AI-assisted development. Here's how to implement them:

🎯 Implementation Checklist

Create claude.md file with the 7 Rules

Set up GitHub repository for checkpoints

Save security check prompt for easy access

Save learning prompt for code explanations

Create dedicated AI chat for productive breaks

Practice the two-model strategy (Opus/Sonnet)

Claude Code is more than a tool—it's a development revolution. But like any powerful technology, it requires skill and discipline to master. These 8 tricks are your roadmap from novice to expert.

The developers who master these techniques today will be the ones building the most successful AI-powered applications tomorrow. The question isn't whether you can afford to learn these skills—it's whether you can afford not to.

"If you take all the prompts I just gave you, all the little tips and tricks, and put them into your workflow immediately, I promise you, you'll build 10 times faster and your apps will be 10 times higher quality."

Ready to transform your development workflow? Start with the 7 Rules file, master plan mode, and never skip the security check. Your future self will thank you.

Claude Code Mastery: 8 Pro Tricks to Build 10x Faster