AI for Entrepreneurs & Business Startups Course (Self-Paced)
IDAI10SP

Module 1: Getting Started with Claude AI

• Explain how Claude works in plain language and identify the model tiers, plans, and interface
• Understand the context window, how Claude processes information, and when to start new conversations
• Practice your first Claude conversation using an entrepreneur-specific prompt
• Identify what Claude does well, what it doesn’t, and when founder judgment is essential

Module 2: Prompting Fundamentals

• Apply the five-part prompt framework: context, task, format, constraints, and examples
• Write effective prompts across five use cases: writing, summarization, analysis, research, and creative problem-solving
• Recognize and fix common prompting mistakes that produce vague or unusable output
• Practice prompting with startup scenarios: drafting a cold outreach email, summarizing a competitor’s website, and writing a company description for a pitch deck

Module 3: Working with Files & Documents

• Upload and analyze images, PDFs, spreadsheets, and documents directly in Claude
• Use Claude to extract, compare, and summarize information from uploaded files
• Work with startup-specific file types: business plans, pitch decks, financial projections, market research reports, and customer survey results
• Complete a hands-on file analysis exercise using provided startup sample documents

Module 4: Projects & Knowledge Bases

• Explain how Projects use custom instructions and knowledge bases to organize ongoing work
• Write effective Project instructions that encode your role, audience, format preferences, and rules
• Upload reference documents and understand how RAG retrieves relevant content
• Create a startup Project for your business with business plans, competitive research, and brand guidelines

Module 5: Artifacts, Styles, Memory & Usage Management

• Create reusable deliverables with Artifacts and edit them directly or through conversation
• Build custom Styles that match your professional communication voice
• Configure Memory to retain key context about you and your work across conversations
• Apply usage management techniques to extend your plan value

Module 6: Advanced Prompting & AI Tool Selection

• Use role-based prompting, chain-of-thought reasoning, and multi-step workflows
• Apply Extended Thinking, web search, and the You Ask Me technique for complex tasks
• Compare Claude with ChatGPT, Copilot, and Gemini to choose the right tool for each task
• Practice advanced prompting with startup scenarios: stress-testing a business model, building a go-to-market plan, and researching a new market opportunity

Module 7: Introduction to Claude Cowork

• Explain what Cowork is and how it differs from the claude.ai chat interface
• Read, write, and manage files from your desktop environment
• Configure guardrails, file permissions, and network settings for safe use
• Understand prompt injection risks and how to protect against them

Module 8: Context System, Connectors & Integrations

• Build foundational context files and set Global Instructions for every Cowork session
• Connect Claude to Slack, Google Drive, Gmail, and workplace tools
• Use Claude in Excel and PowerPoint with the Office add-ins
• Configure your context system and connections for startup workflows, including Excel modeling and investor presentations

Module 9: AI for Entrepreneurs — Core Workflows

• Use Claude and web search for market research, competitor analysis, and customer validation
• Draft and refine business plan sections, executive summaries, and pitch deck narratives
• Build customer outreach and sales communications: cold emails, follow-up sequences, demo scripts, and partnership proposals
• Create marketing content: website copy, launch announcements, social posts, email campaigns, product descriptions
• Produce financial projections, investor update templates, and operational documentation
• Complete a hands-on lab producing a multi-document startup content package

Module 10: Capstone — Build Your Startup Claude System

• Audit your daily and weekly tasks to identify where Claude creates leverage
• Configure a personalized startup Claude system with Projects, context files, Styles, and tool connections
• Run a complete end-to-end workflow: market research brief, pitch deck narrative, outreach sequence, investor update
• Create a Week 1 action plan for integrating Claude into your daily operations