Claude beyond the browser
Most Optimists use Claude at claude.ai in a browser tab. That's great. It's also just the beginning of what Claude can do. Here's a quick tour of the tools that exist beyond the chat window.
Claude Code: what it is and what it builds
Claude Code is a command-line tool you install on your computer. Unlike the browser version of Claude, Claude Code can actually read your files, write to them, run commands, and execute code. It's like giving Claude hands.
What Claude Code can do
- Read through an entire codebase to understand how it works
- Write new files, edit existing ones, and delete what's broken
- Install packages, run tests, and check whether the code actually works
- Build complete web applications from a plain-English description
- Debug issues across multiple files simultaneously
- Refactor code to follow a different style or architecture
This training course was built with Claude Code. So was the Agency Prep Checklist, the AI AE Assistant, and several other internal tools. When we say Claude Code can build real things, we mean it.
Claude Code on the web
Anthropic also offers a web-based version of Claude Code for people who want the power of Claude Code without installing anything. It runs in the browser and has access to a sandboxed environment where Claude can write, run, and test code in real time.
This is newer functionality and the best use cases are still being discovered. For OO's purposes, it's most useful for:
- Developers who want a quick prototyping environment
- Anyone who wants to explore what a small tool might look like before committing to a full build
- Building and testing quick automations before handing them off to Zapier
What OO has built: a tour
Understanding what's already been built helps you understand what's possible to pitch next.
Agency Prep Checklist
A client-facing tool at tools.onlineoptimism.com/agencyprep that walks potential clients through what we need from them to get started. Built with Claude Code, deployed on Cloudflare.
AI AE Assistant
The automated meeting debrief system that generates seven outputs from a single transcript. Built with Google Apps Script + Claude API. Covered in detail in Module 7.
AI Creator Platform
An internal platform at create.onlineoptimism.com where OO hosts AI tools for team and client use.
This training course
You're reading it right now. A static multi-page web app, built with Claude Code, deployed to training.onlineoptimism.com.
How to pitch a tool idea
You don't have to know how to build something to pitch it. The best tool ideas come from people who feel a daily friction point and can describe it clearly.
If you have an idea for a tool that could help the team or a client, post it in #ai-and-automations with answers to these questions:
- What problem does this solve? Who has the problem?
- How are we solving it today, and why is that painful?
- What would the ideal tool do? (Plain English is fine.)
- How often would this be used?
💡 Some of OO's best tools started as a two-sentence Slack message. You don't need a full spec. Just describe the problem clearly.
The Claude API: what it is (briefly)
The Claude API is how developers access Claude programmatically, outside of the browser. It's what powers the AI AE Assistant, and it's what makes it possible to build things like automated content pipelines, custom chatbots for clients, or any tool that needs to "call" Claude as part of a larger workflow.
For most Optimists, you don't need to think about the API at all. But if you're in development and interested in building AI-powered tools, the API docs are a good place to start. Talk to whoever is managing the AI Creator Platform about how to get access and what's already been built on it.
Try it yourself
Visit tools.onlineoptimism.com/agencyprep and go through the Agency Prep Checklist as if you were a potential client. Notice what it does, how it works, and how it's designed.
Then answer: Is there a version of this that could work for one of your clients? Or a different tool entirely that would be useful to them? Write down the idea. That's a pitch.
Things to know before you build anything
- Claude Code is powerful but it's not magic. You still need to review what it builds, test it, and understand how it works before using it for production work.
- API calls cost money. Small amounts, but real amounts. If you're building something that calls Claude on every request, think about the volume before you deploy it.
- Get alignment before building client-facing tools. A tool that goes to clients carries OO's name. Run the idea through your VP before building anything customer-facing.