Claude Code has changed my life, for good, bad, and forever.
It’s addictive, powerful, and intuitive.
One friend described it as crack for ADHD people.
I haven’t tried crack, but I have tried Claude, and I see his point.
Claude Code (and its Visual Studio Code extension) has only been in my life for a little over a week.
And yet…
It’s helped me create the very site you are reading this on now.
What I’ve Built (So Far)
A website for my user group
Norfolk Power Platform
https://www.nppug.co.ukAnother website
(final one for now, I promise)
https://www.manchesterdatahive.co.uk
A brand new community event around data and AI in ManchesterA phone and desktop app
(more news around this later)
This Isn’t That AI Story
There is something happening with AI.
Not the headlines of mass layoffs.
Not “your job is at risk because you aren’t AI literate.”
Not “X SaaS product is dead because of this.”
This is different.
It’s giving people access to take their imagination to reality in seconds.
(Well, arguably hours sometimes, but you get my point.)
Speed Changes Things
In 3 hours, I:
- Bought a domain
- Created a GitHub repository
- Had a functioning, production-level website live
In 2 hours last night, I:
- Created a desktop app
- Created a phone app
(More coming soon. I know. I’m a tease. But I’m excited about this one.)
You have magic at your fingertips.
But as Fullmetal Alchemist taught me:
“Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return.
To obtain, something of equal value must be lost.”
Power Comes With Trade-offs
You can make things at breakneck speed.
You can chuck together something that defies logic.
But you need to be mindful.
Here are the things that didn’t go so well the first time around.
If your knowledge level is low and you let it run on autopilot, it will happily:
- Run admin-level scripts in PowerShell
- Auto push and commit things to GitHub
- Access your files and move, rename, delete, and update them
- Plough ahead and build several things at once
- Build content and design with no consideration for accuracy, truth, or accessibility
There are safety guards in place.
It will ask if it’s allowed to do things.
You can blanket accept everything, or approve actions one at a time.
While pretty much anyone can pick it up and just build something, having a foundational level of knowledge in web design, app design, or any coding experience is massive.
What Comes Next
I’ll be releasing:
- A blog how-to guide
- A repo showing how to set up your own site, buy a domain, and host it
So you too can have a nice shiny blog like this.
(Yes, I realise mine looks like a goth teenager’s bedroom.
I am still a goth teenager at heart. Don’t judge me.)
Let your inner creativity have a go at building something.
Final Thought
This isn’t about being technical enough, it’s about giving yourself permission to start.
Footnote:
I’m using Claude Code Pro. It’s $17 a month (about £16 for me, which still feels wrong).
There’s also a Max tier starting at $100 per month, and a free version.
#Claude