Here’s a tip for beginners that helped me a lot when I first started using claude code. Before the agent plans, let alone build anything, I let it interview me. In Claude Code I switch to plan mode (Shift+Tab) so nothing gets edited, then paste this: Before you plan anything, interview me about what I want to build. Ask one question at a time. Cover who it’s for, what “done” looks like and how we’ll check it, what already exists, constraints, and what is out of scope. When you could write a one-page brief I’d sign, stop asking, write it to BRIEF.md, then write the plan. In tools without plan mode, start with “Don’t edit any files yet.” What helps most: One question at a time. A list of ten gets rushed answers. One at a time, each answer shapes the next question. Write down how you’ll check it’s done. A test, a command, a page that must show something. The agent builds toward what’s written. Write down what’s not included. Otherwise every good idea halfway through becomes part of the job. When I ask for something new later, I have the agent check it against the brief first: is it inside, an extension, or a change of direction? Extensions go on a “later” list. What’s a question you wish your agent had asked before it started? English isn’t my first language, so I used AI to help me translate this post. submitted by /u/chrnas
Originally posted by u/chrnas on r/ClaudeCode
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