Claude Clue #1: Start by Letting Claude Ask the Questions

Before you dive into your next coding session with Claude, take a breath. The secret to a productive session isn't cramming everything into one perfect prompt. It's setting the stage and then letting Claude help you figure out what you actually need. Lay out your current state, your capabilities, your knowledge gaps, and whatever constraints or goals you're working toward. Then end with something like "ask me clarifying questions." This stops the model from guessing and filling in blanks with assumptions. Instead, you work out the details together.

One of our team members, Roscoe, recently put this to the test. He asked Claude to help him get better at prompting itself. Meta, I know. But the approach worked: instead of trying to front-load a perfect prompt, he set the context and let the necessary details bubble up through back-and-forth conversation. Whether you've got the whole architecture mapped out in your head or you're still figuring out which end of the problem to grab first, the same method applies. Set the stage, invite questions, and let the collaboration begin.

Claude was here.