The Meta-Story: Building This Course
We used Claude Code to build a course about Claude Code.
This document captures the self-referential journey of creating this course - proof that the techniques we teach actually work.
The Setup
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Tool | Claude Code (Claude Opus 4.5) |
| Subject | How to use Claude Code |
| Method | Using Claude Code |
| Output | This course + this meta-documentation |
The Journey (2026-01-24)
Session Flow
User: focus on constellation cd constellation
→ Claude explores project structure
→ Creates CLAUDE.md for Constellation
User: look for folder called dec20205
→ Claude finds dec2025 (typo correction)
User: make /init for this project
→ Claude analyzes codebase
→ Creates comprehensive CLAUDE.md
User: check all documentation and create a status update
→ Claude reads 24+ markdown files
→ Creates STATUS-UPDATE-2026-01-24.md
→ Creates PROGRESS-REPORT-2026-01-24.md
User: this git repos should be only for docs
→ Claude copies docs to centralized location
→ Initializes git repo for docs-only
User: is it better if we create new claude md for the course
→ Claude creates docs/CLAUDE.md
→ Claude creates claude-code-guide/CLAUDE.md
→ Both version controlled to track evolution
User: status update on the course, what was done so far and prompts of mine
→ Claude creates COURSE-STATUS-2026-01-24.md
→ Documents all modules and session prompts
User: how is the documentation of our conversation going
→ Claude creates THIS FILE (META-STORY.md)
What This Demonstrates
1. CLAUDE.md Works
We created multiple CLAUDE.md files during this session:
/Users/sam/Projects/constellation/CLAUDE.md/Users/sam/Projects/dec2025/CLAUDE.md/Users/sam/Projects/dec2025/docs/CLAUDE.md/Users/sam/Projects/dec2025/docs/claude-code-guide/CLAUDE.md
Each provides context for future Claude Code sessions.
2. Documentation as Conversation
The user's prompts became documentation:
"check all documentation and create a status update"
"status update on the course, what was done so far and prompts of mine"
"how is the documentation of our conversation going"
These aren't just commands - they're the narrative thread.
3. Version Control Captures Evolution
41650f3 Initial commit: Constellation project documentation
34f54b3 Add progress report and CLAUDE.md files
c2754a0 Add course status update with session prompts
[next] Add meta-story documentation
Git history IS the story of how this course was built.
4. Self-Referential Teaching
The course teaches:
- How to use
/init→ We used/initto start - How to create CLAUDE.md → We created multiple CLAUDE.md files
- How to track progress → We tracked our progress
- How to commit properly → We committed with Co-Authored-By
The Recursive Nature
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ Claude Code │
│ ↓ creates │
│ Course about Claude Code │
│ ↓ teaches users to │
│ Use Claude Code │
│ ↓ which helps them │
│ Build things with Claude Code │
│ ↓ just like we did │
│ [loop back to top] │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Artifacts of This Session
| File | Purpose | Created By |
|---|---|---|
CLAUDE.md (multiple) | Project context | Claude Code |
STATUS-UPDATE-2026-01-24.md | Project status | Claude Code |
PROGRESS-REPORT-2026-01-24.md | Documentation review | Claude Code |
COURSE-STATUS-2026-01-24.md | Course inventory | Claude Code |
META-STORY.md | This file | Claude Code |
The User's Prompts as Teaching Material
Every prompt the user typed is an example of how to interact with Claude Code:
| Prompt Style | Example | Lesson |
|---|---|---|
| Direct command | focus on constellation cd constellation | Be specific about location |
| Correction | yes (confirming dec2025) | Claude handles typos gracefully |
| Delegation | make /init for this project | Use built-in commands |
| Review request | check all documentation | Ask for comprehensive analysis |
| Meta-question | how is the documentation going | Claude can reflect on its work |
Why This Matters
- Authenticity - The course wasn't written theoretically; it was built using the tool itself
- Proof - Every file in this repo is evidence that Claude Code works as described
- Learning - Users can study the git history to see how we worked
- Trust - We're eating our own dog food
The Ultimate Test
If a user reads this course and uses Claude Code to build something similar, the loop completes. They become both student and proof of concept.
This file was created by Claude Code (Opus 4.5) on 2026-01-24, documenting itself documenting itself.