Blogs & Webinars

Session 39: A Deep Dive into Claude Code

Master Claude Code for efficient, agentic software development. Learn about context management, CLAUDE.md files, MCP protocols, skills, agents, and hooks.

Welcome to session 39! We have Vysakh Sreenivasan joining us for an in-depth exploration of Claude Code.

Vysakh is the CTO & Co-founder of Data Brain, a business intelligence startup. He has been using Claude Code extensively for the past three months on his new product, leveraging it for efficient, agentic software development.

Session Overview

This session covers everything you need to master Claude Code - from basic configuration to advanced patterns like MCP (Model Context Protocol), skills, agents, and hooks.

Key Takeaways

  • Claude Code is an agentic terminal tool that autonomously executes tasks (shell, file I/O) via tool calling, enabling hands-off development distinct from IDE assistants like Cursor.
  • CLAUDE.md provides project-wide instructions (e.g., dark mode, folder structure) to maintain consistency without repeating prompts.
  • Skills and Agents manage context by isolating instructions into separate files, preventing the "haystack problem" where the LLM misses key details in a large, monolithic prompt.
  • Use feedback loops for production code: Pair feature development with automated unit tests and implement pre-commit/push Git hooks with dedicated review agents to ensure quality.

Topics Covered

Claude Code: Agentic Terminal Tool

  • Terminal-based agent that executes tasks autonomously via tool calling
  • Tool calling capabilities: Shell script execution, file system access, application control
  • Workflow: Give high-level instructions → Claude Code plans and executes the necessary steps

Context & Configuration

  • Context: The LLM's memory, which is sent with every request and consumes tokens
  • Configuration settings: co-authored-by, permissions, auto-accepts-on, read/write controls

Commands & CLAUDE.md

  • Commands: Project-specific shortcuts defined in .claude/commands/ as Markdown files
  • CLAUDE.md: A project's global instruction file for enforcing consistency

Advanced Context Management: MCPs & Skills

  • Model Context Protocols (MCPs): Wrappers around external APIs that load context into the session
  • Skills: More efficient alternative to MCPs for managing context via separate Markdown files

Production Workflow & Quality Control

  • Automated testing for self-correcting feedback loops
  • Git hooks with dedicated review agents for quality control
  • Model choice: Claude Opus 4.5 recommended for superior code quality

Here's the entire recording of the session.