11 Ways the Top 1% Actually Use Claude
Source: LinkedIn post by Hamna Aslam Kahn
Claude can remember you, write like you, and think with you. Most people never unlock any of it. It only takes 10 minutes.
The 11 Techniques
1. Use Projects, not chats
Every new chat starts with zero memory. A Project persists context across every session. Set it up once and Claude never asks who you are again.
2. Build an identity file
Paste your role, goals, tone preferences, and boundaries inside the Project. Every response gets sharper from the first message.
3. Stop using it like Google
Claude is a thinking partner, not a search engine. Asking “what is X” cuts its value by 80%. Give it a real problem. Ask it to think with you.
4. Make Claude ask you first
Before any big task: “Ask me the 5 most important questions before you start. Then begin.” One line changes everything.
5. Clone your writing style
Paste 3 samples of your writing → ask Claude to analyze your patterns. After that it stops sounding like AI.
6. Use it as a sparring partner
Claude agrees by default. Ask it to find every assumption you’re making that could be wrong. Destroy the plan before you fall in love with it.
7. Turn on Extended Thinking
Reason through a problem before answering instead of jumping to output. Use on anything that actually matters.
8. Let Claude write your prompts
Not sure how to prompt for a specific task? Ask Claude to write the prompt for you. It knows what instructions produce better results.
9. Always set output length
“Answer in 3 sentences” cuts token use by 40-60% with zero loss in value.
10. Kill the preamble
Add to Custom Instructions once: “No preamble. No filler. Just the answer.” It never comes back.
11. Stress-test ideas before you build
Ask Claude to find everything wrong with your idea before you invest time. What assumptions are wrong? Who already does this? Why won’t customers pay?
The Result
The whole setup takes 10 minutes. After that, every session starts ahead of where it used to end.