My Simple Claude Cowork System (for normal people)

About this video

Jeff Su demonstrates his Claude Cowork system built entirely from plain text markdown files in a parent folder he calls iClaude OS / Cowork OS. At the root level, a claude.md file acts as the constitution — the instruction manual Cowork reads at the start of every session — and a memory.md file stores persistent memory; a line in claude.md tells Cowork to read memory.md before responding and to write to it when told ‘remember this.’ A 00_resources folder holds detailed files loaded only when needed, such as voice-principles.md, which Cowork can build by extracting patterns from your last 30 sent Gmail emails (his own file is over 150 lines). Below the root are workstations that stack rules on top: universal ones like Email HQ (built by analyzing the last 4 weeks of sent email for greetings, sign-offs and his inbox-zero workflow) and dedicated ones like Personal Finances, where he shared 12 months of credit card statements and Cowork built a spending tracker with four tabs — transactions, yearly summary, monthly summary and category taxonomy — and learns corrections. He has built almost 30 workstations but advises starting with two or three, using Obsidian just to view the files readably, running /session audit to save unsaved preferences, keeping the root claude.md under 300 lines, avoiding duplicate rules, and defaulting to Sonnet — which he says is enough 80% of the time at a fifth of the cost of Opus — switching to Opus only for tasks with three or more dependent steps.

Key takeaways

• Cowork’s power comes from two simple text files: claude.md for standing instructions and memory.md for persistent memory across sessions.
• Use a hierarchy — root rules apply everywhere, workstation claude.md/memory.md/resources stack on top for Email HQ, Personal Finances, Newsletter HQ and other areas.
• Build voice principles automatically from past writing samples so outputs sound like you without re-explaining style each time.
• Keep context lean and relevant: point to resource files instead of bloating the root file, never duplicate rules, and keep root claude.md within 300 lines.
• Default to Sonnet for most work and reserve Opus for multi-step dependent tasks; audit each session to compound preferences over time.

Episode details: published April 28, 2026 · 21:18 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Business results and any income figures mentioned are Jeff Su’s own claims, shared for education — they are not typical or guaranteed.

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