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Setup

Outcome: You have a fully configured environment, ready to work

Tools to Install​

We're going to get you set up with everything you need. Follow along with the video—pause as needed.

1. VS Code​

What it is: VS Code is an IDE (Integrated Development Environment). Think of it as the "Chrome of code editors"—it's where developers live, and now it's where you'll work with AI.

Download: code.visualstudio.com/download

Important: After downloading, drag VS Code into your Applications folder (Mac) before opening it.

2. Claude Account + Pro Subscription​

What it is: Claude is the AI we'll be using. You need a paid Pro account to access Claude Code.

Steps:

  1. Go to claude.ai
  2. Create an account
  3. Subscribe to Claude Pro ($20/month)

3. Claude Code Extension​

What it is: This is the agent platform that connects Claude to your files and workspace. It's NOT the same as using Claude in your browser (more on that in 1.3).

Steps:

  1. Open VS Code
  2. Click the Extensions icon (left sidebar, looks like 4 squares)
  3. Search "Claude Code"
  4. Click Install
  5. Authenticate with your Claude account when prompted

4. Wispr Flow​

What it is: Voice dictation that lets you talk to Claude instead of typing. Much faster than typing once you get used to it.

Download: wispr.com (or search "Wispr Flow")

After installing:

  • Complete the personalization workflow
  • Learn the shortcut: FN + Space to activate

5. GitHub Account + GitHub Desktop​

What it is: GitHub is where your files live. GitHub Desktop makes syncing easy.

Steps:

  1. Create account at github.com
  2. Download GitHub Desktop from desktop.github.com
  3. Move GitHub Desktop to Applications folder
  4. Sign in with your GitHub account

Workspace Setup​

1. Create Your Personal Repo​

  1. In GitHub Desktop, click "Create New Repository"
  2. Name it something like "YourName-Repo"
  3. Choose your Documents folder as the location
  4. Click Create

2. Add to VS Code Workspace​

  1. In VS Code, right-click in the Explorer sidebar
  2. Click "Add Folder to Workspace"
  3. Navigate to your repo folder
  4. Click Add

3. Mark Sharp Extension​

What it is: Makes Markdown files readable. You'll understand why this matters in the next section.

Steps:

  1. In VS Code, go to Extensions
  2. Search "Mark Sharp"
  3. Click Install

4. Enable Bypass Permissions Mode​

This lets Claude work without asking permission for every little action. (We'll explain all the modes in 1.3.)

  1. Open VS Code Settings: Cmd + , (Mac) or Ctrl + , (Windows)
  2. Search for "Claude permissions"
  3. Enable "Allow bypass permissions mode"
  4. Restart VS Code

5. Change Model to Opus 4.5​

Claude Code can use different models. Opus 4.5 is the most capable—better reasoning, better writing, better at complex tasks. We want to make sure you're using it.

Steps:

  1. Open Claude Code panel in VS Code
  2. In the chat section type: /model
  3. Click on it to open model selection
  4. Select "Claude Opus 4.5"
  5. Open a new Claude agent and check if it stuck.

6. Connect OpenTelemetry (Usage Tracking)​

This lets you see how much you're using Claude Code—which sessions used the most tokens, what patterns emerge, etc. Your usage data gets sent to a dashboard where you can review it.

Steps:

  1. LeanScale-Context
  2. Claude-Telemetry
  3. Run it in the terminal

You're set up. Let's put it to work.