Your First Project

The full new-project workflow

Here's the exact sequence you'll use every time you start something new:

Step 1: Create and navigate to your project folder

cd ~/Developer/Personal
mkdir my-app
cd my-app

Step 2: Initialize Git

git init

Step 3: Set up your project

For a Next.js app:

bun x create-next-app@latest .

For a blank TypeScript project:

bun init

Step 4: Make your initial commit

git add .
git commit -m "chore: initial setup"

Step 5: Create the GitHub repository and push

gh repo create my-app --private --source=. --remote=origin --push

The flags mean:

• --private — only you can see it (change to --public for open source)
• --source=. — use the current folder
• --remote=origin — name the remote "origin"
• --push — push your first commit automatically

Step 6: Open in VS Code and Claude Code

code .
claude

Your workflow from here: make changes in VS Code, run commands in Ghostty, use Claude Code to get help.

Cloning an existing repo

When you want to work on an existing GitHub project:

cd ~/Developer/GitHub
gh repo clone owner/repo-name
cd repo-name
bun install
code .
claude

Good first prompts

Once you're in Claude Code, start with this to help Claude understand the project:

Read CLAUDE.md and the project structure. Summarize what this project does, the main commands, and any conventions you notice. Don't edit anything yet.

Then for any task:

Implement this incrementally. Before editing, explain which files you plan to touch. Keep changes small and follow CLAUDE.md.

Repo starter files

Every project should have these files from day one: