--- title: "Guides" description: "How to actually use Claude, in plain language for managers. A guide per tool, from an operator running a $0.8bn portfolio." url: https://theclosedgap.com/guides/ author: Madina Umbetova --- The guides # How to actually use Claude. Plain-language field guides for managers, not engineers. One mechanism that explains each tool, the setup that makes it safe, and a real job run start to finish. Playbooks for specific commercial jobs land here next. [Guide · Part 1 ### How to actually use Claude. Part 1: Chat The one mechanism that explains everything, the two settings that make Claude know you, and a real commercial decision run start to finish. Read](https://theclosedgap.com/guides/chat) [Guide · Part 2 ### How to actually use Claude. Part 2: Cowork When Claude stops answering in a box and starts building the real deck in your folder. The setup that makes it safe, and one job run end to end. Read](https://theclosedgap.com/guides/cowork) [Guide · Running costs ### What a Claude Code session costs Every message re-sends the whole conversation. The four levers that set the bill, how prompt caching works, and how a team caps its spend. Read](https://theclosedgap.com/guides/claude-code) [Leitfaden · Deutsch ### Was eine Claude-Code-Session wirklich kostet Die deutsche Fassung des Kostenleitfadens. Für Führungskräfte, die ohne Entwicklerhintergrund entscheiden müssen, was ein Werkzeug kostet. Read](https://theclosedgap.com/guides/claude-code-kosten) [Guide · Prompt ### The meeting logger One prompt that turns raw meeting notes into decisions, actions and open questions, and flags everything that was never actually agreed. Read](https://theclosedgap.com/guides/meeting-logger) [Guide · Daily rhythm ### The 3 commands I run with Claude every day Check in, check out, weekly review. Where to save the prompts so they load into every chat, and the one rule that does most of the work. Read](https://theclosedgap.com/guides/three-daily-commands) [Guide · Build ### Your personal finance dashboard, built by AI in 2 hours Four banks, several cards, a loan and no single view. The exact prompts, and what it revealed that I did not know. Read](https://theclosedgap.com/guides/personal-finance-dashboard) [Read the writing](https://theclosedgap.com/writing)