Tools at a Glance
| Category | Tool | Purpose | Experience Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Planning | Claude Projects | Organize chats, PRDs, epics | Beginner-friendly |
| Research Mode | Deep analysis & competitive research | Beginner-friendly | |
| B-Mad Method | Structured agent-based development | Intermediate | |
| Development | Claude Code CLI | Primary development interface | Beginner-friendly |
| Claude Code Browser | Experimental parallel tasks | Experimental | |
| Claude API | AI-powered features | Intermediate | |
| Parallel Dev | Conductor | Visual branch management | Intermediate |
| Git Worktrees | Alternative parallel development | Advanced | |
| Environment | VS Code | IDE | Beginner-friendly |
| GitHub Desktop | Visual Git client | Beginner-friendly |
New to Claude Code? Check out my beginner's guide to getting started with Claude Code (coming soon!) for a step-by-step introduction to AI-assisted development.
Introduction
This post outlines my current toolkit for developing with Claude AI. As these technologies evolve rapidly, I'm committed to continuous learning and updating my stack.
Where This Stack Really Shines
While I can't share specifics about my proprietary enterprise work, this stack has proven invaluable for large-scale projects involving:
- Multiple interconnected services and APIs
- Complex business logic requiring careful planning
- Teams collaborating on different features simultaneously
- Projects with 10+ epics and 50+ user stories
The structured approach (B-Mad Method) combined with parallel development (Conductor) makes it possible to maintain velocity and quality even as projects scale.
How I Wrote This Article
I wrote the initial draft in my natural stream-of-consciousness style, outlining the tools I actually use. Then I asked Claude to refine. The core ideas and tools are mine—the polish and organization are collaborative.
Planning & Ideation
Brainstorming with Claude Projects: I use Claude AI's Projects feature extensively, which allows me to organize chats into folders with reusable project knowledge. I can upload files for context, view memory, and add custom instructions to refine responses. This is where I generate PRDs (Product Requirements Documents), epics, and stories.
Deep Research: When I need in-depth analysis—such as researching best practices or conducting competitive analysis—Claude's Research mode is invaluable.
Large-Scale Projects: For bigger projects, I use the B-Mad Method, a comprehensive framework for agent-based development with Claude Code. From brainstorming through PRDs, epics, stories, development, and QA, there's a specialized agent for each phase. The workflows are well-documented, and you can adopt as many or as few components as your project needs.
Development with Claude
Claude Code CLI: My primary development interface.
Claude Code in Browser (Beta Research): I'm experimenting with this for handling multiple concurrent development tasks. It's useful for working on different aspects of code simultaneously, though I'm still exploring its optimal use cases.
Claude API: When building AI-powered features, I integrate the Claude API directly. Security best practice: store your API key as an environment variable, never in your codebase.
@ Context Management: The @ mention feature helps manage context by referencing specific files. Pro tip: I spent way too long copying and pasting file paths before I discovered this!
Custom / Commands: I create custom commands stored in a .claude folder at my project root. (Note: if you're using the B-Mad Method, which also uses this folder for its agents, organize your custom commands in a separate subfolder for clarity.) Future goal: package my custom commands as an npm module!
Parallel Development
I've found parallel development most effective when epics and stories are planned with concurrency in mind. When working with Claude to generate project structure, I specifically request stories designed for parallel development.
My preferred approach: Conductor. While Git worktrees are a viable alternative for parallel development, I prefer Conductor because it provides better visual tracking of concurrent branches. The main caveat: performance can degrade with too many active branches, though this will likely improve as the tool matures.
Experimentation: I'm also exploring Claude Code in Browser (Beta Research) for managing concurrent development tasks, though I haven't used it extensively enough to recommend it as a primary parallel development solution.
Development Environment
IDE: Visual Studio Code
Version Control: GitHub Desktop (I can use CLI but appreciate a well-designed GUI)
What's your Claude Code stack? Drop a comment below—I'd love to hear what tools and workflows you're using!
About the Author: I'm a software engineer with 10+ years of experience, currently working on AI-powered SaaS platforms. I'm passionate about using technology for good and continuously learning new tools.
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