AI-Native Cheat Sheet

1. Claude Desktop and Cowork

  • Hand off long, multi-step tasks like research, planning, coordination, and browsing with minimal supervision.
  • Get answers as documents, spreadsheets, presentations, reports - not just text replies.
  • Connect with your files, calendars, browser, and business tools to streamline workflows, without ever acting on data without your permission.
  • Use Claude Desktop app for MacOS or Windows to access Cowork so you will not use only Claude Chat instead.

2. Tools integration

  • Connect every tool you use daily to Cowork: use Connectors in settings or MCPs and plugins for more advanced integrations.
  • Good examples: Outlook, Calendar, OneDrive, SharePoint, Excel, Word, ClickUp, Teams, Figma, Canva, Salesforce, QuickBooks/Xero.
  • Set the default permission for each tool to "read-only automatically", this way Claude can look at your data but will ask for permission to make any changes.
  • If you use a tool often, describe how it should be used in Settings → Cowork → Global Instructions. For project-specific instructions, you can also use an AGENTS.MD file.

3. Reusable skills

  • Use Skills - reusable sets of instructions followed on demand, so you can repeat the same task without explaining it from scratch every time.
  • Turn your repetitive tasks into your own personal Skill - set it up once and use it when needed.
  • Some Skills come from plugins you install - for example, the one that researches your business competitors.
  • There are Skills that are already built in and ready to go, like creating Word documents or building Excel spreadsheets.

4. Speech input first

  • Most people speak 2-3x faster than they type, so voice input saves a lot of time and energy, especially on longer prompts.
  • Use your voice input instead of typing, especially when writing prompts for AI.
  • Occasional misrecognized words are totally fine. Claude handles context well, and you can always fix them before sending.
  • Smart voice tools like WisprFlow are way more accurate than built-in dictation, work across all your apps, and can clean up your speech into coherent text.