Hey folks, I'm Shawn. I've been a software engineer for over 6 years, shipping production code at startups and big tech alike. In the last year, I've leaned heavily on AI coding assistants—Claude in particular—because it's one of the strongest models out there for reasoning about code.
But here's the truth: if you just throw prompts at Claude and accept the first output, you'll waste hours fixing hallucinations, cleaning up messy code, or dealing with forgotten context.
After countless sessions (and plenty of frustration), I've distilled a set of battle-tested practices that turn Claude from a "code generator" into a genuine engineering collaborator.
Here are my 9 pro tips to tame Claude and dramatically improve your coding workflow.
1. Avoid the "Goldfish Brain"
Claude loses context across chat sessions. Starting fresh every time is a productivity killer.
Fix: End every meaningful session with a "State of the Union" summary.
Prompt template:
Please write a comprehensive "State of the Union" prompt that summarizes:
1. What we achieved in this session.
2. The current state of the codebase.
3. The exact next steps we need to take.
4. Any known bugs or edge cases.
I will use this prompt to start our next session.
Copy-paste it at the beginning of your next conversation—Claude instantly remembers everything.
2. Mine Diamonds After the Storm
After a grueling 2–3 hour debugging marathon, don't just celebrate "it's fixed." That's your golden window for process improvement.
Prompt template:
Okay, we finally fixed the database connection refused error.
It was a race condition in the docker-compose startup order.
Don't just move on. Please analyze precisely WHY this happened and explain the 'wait-for-it' script solution we implemented.
I want to understand the root cause so I don't face this again.
Habit: Always reflect and generalize the lesson into a reusable rule in a Troubleshooting_Tips.md file.
3. Reverse Thinking – Force Claude to Be the Tester First (TDD Style)
Facing complex logic? Don't let Claude jump straight to implementation.
Pro move: Make it write comprehensive tests first.
I need to write a Python function `calculate_shipping(weight, destination, is_prime_member)`.
First, write a set of `pytest` cases that cover:
1. Standard domestic shipping.
2. Heavy items (>50lbs) surcharge.
3. International shipping to excluded countries (should raise error).
4. Prime member free shipping edge cases.
I will approve the tests before you implement the logic.
With solid test cases approved upfront, generating correct implementation code often takes fewer than 10 regenerations.
4. Play RPG with the AI
Claude tends to take the path of least resistance. Force it to present options like an RPG menu.
Prompt template:
This PostgreSQL query for the 'User Dashboard' takes 3 seconds to run. It needs to be faster.
Please analyze the query and provide 3 options:
[Option 1]: Quick fix (Index optimization).
[Option 2]: Clean Code (Refactoring the joins/subqueries).
[Option 3]: Over-engineered (Materialized views or caching strategy).
Wait for my selection.
5. Communicate Visually – Use Claude's "Eyes"
Claude has excellent computer vision capabilities. Stop describing UI bugs or schemas in long paragraphs.
Prompt template:
[Uploads screenshot of the broken mobile navbar]
Look at the attached screenshot. The 'Sign Up' button is overlapping with the logo on iPhone screens.
Here is my current Tailwind CSS code for the navbar.
Based on the visual evidence, tell me exactly which classes to change to fix the alignment.
Just screenshot it.
- Screenshot the UI with annotations
- Paste full-colored error logs
- Share DB schema diagrams instead of raw SQL
The results are far more accurate.
6. Generalize Every Insight
Fixed a specific bug? Great—but don't stop there.
Context: You found out that useEffect was causing an infinite loop due to an object dependency.
Prompt template:
You were right—the infinite loop was caused by passing a new object reference to the `useEffect` dependency array on every render.
Please generalize this finding. Create a generic entry for my `Troubleshooting_Tips.md` titled "React useEffect Pitfalls: Object References".
Format it with:
- The Problem Pattern
- The Solution (useMemo or primitive values)
- A code snippet example.
7. Reuse Hard-Won Knowledge
Next time you hit a similar issue—don't start from zero.
Opening prompt:
[Uploads 'Troubleshooting_Tips.md']
I am about to configure the API routes for a new Next.js project.
Read my attached `Troubleshooting_Tips.md` file first.
Check rule #5 regarding "CORS configurations in Vercel" and tell me exactly how to apply it to this new `next.config.js` file so I don't run into that issue again.
8. True TDD Workflow with Claude
Context: Creating a new Redux slice for a shopping cart.
Prompt template:
I need to create a Redux toolkit slice for a `ShoppingCart`.
DO NOT write the slice yet.
First, write the unit tests for the reducer logic:
- Adding an item that already exists (increment quantity).
- Removing the last item (remove from array).
- Handling negative quantities (should not be possible).
Once these tests are ready, I'll paste them into my editor, and you will write the code to pass them.
This produces dramatically cleaner, more reliable code.
9. The Stop Rule – Force Clarifying Questions
Prevent Claude from assuming your tech stack, versions, or business logic.
Prompt template:
I want to build a web scraper to track prices on Amazon.
Before you write any code:
1. Ask me 3 questions about the scale (how many products?).
2. Ask about anti-bot detection requirements.
3. Ask about where we are storing the data.
Do not assume I want to use Selenium or Python. Ask first.
Final Thoughts
Apply these 9 practices consistently, and Claude evolves from a hit-or-miss code monkey into a thoughtful, reliable engineering partner—one that thinks deeply, rarely hallucinates, remembers long-term context, and helps you ship cleaner code faster.
I've seen my iteration speed double and bug rates drop significantly since adopting this mindset.
What other tricks do you use to get the most out of Claude (or other coding AIs)? Drop them in the comments—I’m always learning! 🚀
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