18 Comments
User's avatar
Ralph Krausse's avatar

I think I am a 3.5? What I need is more of the WHY do I need <new feature>. Like the Ralph-loop feature. Love it but I have been doing fine with out it. So do I need it or am I using it wrong. I suspect I'm using it wrong. Same with skills. I'm not sure I need it, but I think I do. I think I'm using Claude at a high level, but I'm pretty sure I can use it higher. What about auto-claude? What about using Claude with Ollama? What about GitTrees workflows. I need to ensure my Mac is basically coding so much that it's on fire. I'm really looking for a community that understands Claude code.

Joe's avatar

You're asking exactly the right question — "why do I need this?" is more important than "how do I use this." That's the gap I'm trying to fill. The Ralph-loop article comes this weekend, and I cover when you need it vs when you're overcomplicating things. Skills, auto-claude, GitTrees — all on the roadmap. And yes, I'm building a private community for exactly this kind of discussion. Thank you!

Ariel Strong's avatar

I’m in the 3-4 range—comfortable with prompting, systems, apis. Have a full stack web development and data and analytics background. Been bouncing between vibe coding and more traditional development trying to figure out how to leverage my technical background while purging old-style dev habits/attitudes. Need to ditch seven years of corporate conditioning and free up my mind and creativity!

Joe's avatar

Thank you for your comment! That corporate conditioning is real — I see it in a lot of experienced devs. The hardest part isn't learning Claude Code, it's letting go of the "I need to control every line" mindset. Your technical background is actually an advantage once you learn to leverage it differently. Upcoming issues will focus on workflows that let you think at a higher level while Claude handles the execution.

Kurt's avatar

I’m starting from scratch. I’ve heard amazing things about Claude Code and Cowork. I’ve used Claude via Poe as a chatbot to help write python code as I’ve been working on an algorithmic trading program for a while. Lately, I’ve hit a plateau, as I need to give more complex instructions, which is beyond my current abilities. So this looks like the right next step.

Joe's avatar

That plateau is real — at some point, the chatbot back-and-forth can't hold the complexity of what you're building. You're not alone; most of us hit that same wall when working on a complex project. Claude Code is better because it sees your whole project, not just one prompt at a time. We're all learning fast here — I'll keep you updated, and feel free to reach out if you get stuck. Thanks!

Sacha Wharton's avatar

I think I am in the 3 to 4 range as I have custom specialist agents using skills. I use ccs to orchestrate various models, save money and centralise mcp server config.

Joe's avatar
3hEdited

Thank you for your comment. You're ahead of most users. The orchestration layer you're describing is where the real power is. Upcoming issues on subagents and MCP will dig into advanced patterns for multi-model coordination. Would love to hear more about your CCS setup

LIBIS R. BUENO's avatar

I’m at 3.5 I’ve developed a few POC one which’s has turned into a solution our business. I want to learn more about setting better instructions and token management. My frustration is keeping it to keep track of tasks and avoid deviations

Joe's avatar

Thank you for the comment. Task tracking and avoiding deviations come down to how you structure your CLAUDE.md and define workflows. The short answer: break complex tasks into explicit steps Claude must follow sequentially, and use clear file boundaries so it doesn't wander into unrelated code. Hooks can also enforce checkpoints automatically — I'll cover that soon.

Douglas Thompson CFA's avatar

I’m level 2 and want 5. Help me.

Joe's avatar

Thank you for your comment. That's exactly what this Masterclass Series is designed for. Follow along issue by issue — each one builds on the last. CLAUDE.md → Hooks → Subagents → MCP → Production deployment. You'll get there.

Holyalbefx's avatar

I am on levels 1-2. I want to learn more about the Claude’s capabilities. The biggest thing frustrating me about Claude is the

hallucinations.

Joe's avatar

Thank you for your comment. Hallucinations usually come from Claude guessing instead of knowing. Two fixes:

1) Give Claude a better context via CLAUDE.md so it doesn't guess about your project,

2) Use extended thinking for complex problems

Chuck Mazzanti's avatar

Love this, I would say I’m between 1-2.

Joe's avatar

Thank you and welcome!

Vallik's avatar

Between a 3 and 4. Not many tutorials focus on shipping the product

Or prod deployments: that can be pretty frustrating

Joe's avatar

Thank you for your comment. You're right, most tutorials stop at the basics. The later issues in this series cover CI/CD integration, team deployment, and production patterns. That's the Level 5 content — I'm working on adding a real project to help learners go from idea to a shipped product.