# The Architect's Cheat-Sheet

*Print this. Keep it by your keyboard. It's the whole book on one page.*

## You are the architect. Claude is the team.
You own the goal, set the direction, make the decisions, and keep the standards.
Claude does the hands-on work. You never press the keys of the work itself.

## The Brief (how to ask for anything)
> **Goal:** what I want to end up with.
> **Why:** the problem it solves.
> **What I have now:** the messy starting point.
> **Good looks like:** how I'll know it worked.
> **And:** "Show me your plan first — don't change anything until I say go."

## The 5 safety rules
1. **Back up first.** A backup is a seatbelt.
2. **Read before you approve.** Claude proposes; you decide.
3. **Stay in the manual/ask mode.** Let it ask before it acts.
4. **Keep private things private.** Don't connect sensitive accounts yet.
5. **Watch the cost.** Use a flat plan; check usage; there are no surprise charges on a plan.

## Talking to your team
- Describe the **destination**, not the route.
- **One step at a time** beats one giant instruction.
- Your **context is gold** — tell it what "everyone in the office just knows."
- If it's wrong, **say so and redirect** — exactly like coaching a new hire.

## When something breaks
An error is a **message, not a failure**. Read it → paste it to Claude and ask "what does
this mean and how do we fix it?" → if needed, **restore from your backup.** Stay calm; you
can always undo.

## Should you even build it?
Ask: is there already a good app for this? (use it) · is it worth the effort? (value vs time)
· can I start smaller? (scope down). Build the ones that are high-value and not already solved.