Tasks from your iPhone. Notification when it's done.
🎯 Example — CFO on the move
From the train via Dispatch: "Take the Q1 Reporting files, create a summary Excel of variances vs. budget, then an 8-slide PPT for the executive committee."
🚀 Cowork everywhere — desktop, web, mobile, even with your Mac closed
Cowork is available on macOS and Windows, and also on the web (claude.ai) and on mobile: sessions now run on Anthropic's servers, tied to your account — they keep working with your computer turned off, scheduled tasks included, and sync across your devices (rolled out on Max first, then Pro, Team, and Enterprise). One figure to remember for your executive committee: out of 1.2 million sessions analyzed by Anthropic, 33% involve business processes (reporting, finance, HR, operations) versus only about 9% for software development. Cowork isn't a developer tool — it's a tool for leadership.
🌐 Cowork in Chrome
The side panel in the Claude for Chrome extension is now a Cowork session: same skills, same connectors, same history, and Claude acts directly in your tabs. A task started in the browser finishes on the desktop or on your phone. Full details in Module 07 — Computer control.
Set up Cowork in 15 minutes — without touching a single file
Most executives give up on Cowork after ten minutes: they think they have to "configure" technical files. That's unnecessary. The principle fits in one sentence: you brief Claude the way you'd brief a new chief of staff on day one, out loud — and it sets everything up on its own.
The golden rule
You build nothing. You talk, Claude creates and files things away. No file to write, no technical term to know.
1
Install the Desktop app — it is what gives Cowork access to your local files (Mac or Windows, downloaded from claude.ai, just as you would install Word). Cowork also exists on the web and on mobile, but runs in the cloud, without access to your disk.
2
Activate a paid subscription (≈ $20/month) — The free plan doesn't give you access to Cowork. The Pro plan covers nearly all professional use cases.
3
Create a "Claude" folder on your Desktop — Right-click on the Desktop → New folder → name it "Claude." This is the only manual step in the whole setup. Think of it as the shared desk where your assistant files its folders: whatever it puts there, you'll find again.
4
In the app, open that folder — Click Select a folder and choose the one you just created. Claude now has access to this space — and to it alone.
5
Copy and paste this message — Claude handles the rest — Instead of creating files by hand, simply paste this text into the conversation. Claude asks you questions, then builds and files your profile sheet itself.
You're going to become my colleague in Cowork. Before producing anything,
ask me one question at a time to get to know me well: who I am, my role,
my company, my clients, how I write, and the "too much AI" phrasings
I want to avoid. When you have enough information, create in this folder a
"my profile" sheet that will serve as your memory, then confirm to me that it's saved.
6
Answer in plain language, as you would a person — No format to follow, no keywords. You speak naturally; Claude turns your answers into a structured sheet. That's its job, not yours.
7
That's it. Claude knows you. From now on, open each task with "Reread my profile, then write…". Your deliverables come out in your voice, not the generic voice of an AI. (For context that applies across all your chats — not just Cowork — see also Preferences & Projects in module 11.)
👤
Who you are
Your role, your standards, your tone. Claude adapts every response to your executive stance.
🏢
Your company
Your industry, your clients, your offering. No more re-explaining the context in every conversation.
✍️
Your style
The phrasings you like, the ones you ban. Your documents sound like you, not like an AI.
The classic mistake of the busy executive
Skipping the profile step and diving straight into requests. The result: correct but generic responses. Five minutes of upfront briefing is worth hours of corrections later.
Once you're comfortable (optional)
Ask Claude to create two more sheets: one on your document templates (your recurring formats) and one on your confidentiality rules. Again: you ask, Claude builds. You never open a file editor.
💡 The real gapBefore (assistant): context retyped every time, 500 words per prompt, generic responses, you lose time. After (colleague): permanent context, a 1-line prompt, tailored responses, it delivers while you move forward.
🛠️ Your turn — 5 minutes
Paste the briefing message (step 5) and answer Claude's questions in plain language.
Expected result : A "my profile" file exists in your Claude folder.
🧪 Hands-on exercise
You want Claude to organize your Downloads folder and create a report. Which mode do you use?
