The Complete Guide to Claude Code: Your £5.23/Day Full-Stack Developer

Welcome to Week 33

Hi there,

Two weeks ago I promised you the complete guide to Claude Code. Here it is.

Three and a half months ago, I knew virtually nothing about Python or Django. I started the way everyone starts - copying and pasting into ChatGPT and Claude.ai in the browser. I built my first audit tool that way, copying code, pasting into files, debugging manually. I worked eighteen-hour days to get it running. It was as frustrating as anything I’ve ever done.

Then Claude Code launched. And everything changed.

No more copy-paste. No more switching between browser tabs. Claude Code writes directly to your files, it runs commands, it debugs errors - it’s like looking over the shoulder of a senior developer and guiding her to the right solution. But of course, you need to know how to guide.

This isn’t theory - these are the exact methods that took me from browser copy-paste to professional development in weeks.

28 days, 8 major features, £73.22 total cost vs £20,000+ traditional development

The Reality Check: My Actual Development Timeline

Let me show you exactly what I built and when:

Weeks 1-4: The Copy-Paste Era (April 2025)

Tool: Claude.ai in the browser Method: Copy code, paste into files, pray it works

I built my first scraper:

• I ended up with 19 different scraper files (scraper.py, scraper_enhanced.py, scraper_concurrent.py…)
• Each iteration was me trying to fix the last one’s problems
• I spent weeks getting the scraper to actually work
• I was debugging manually in Claude.ai. Every time I hit an error, I’d paste the error back expecting a solution

Reality: 60+ hours for a basic working scraper

Weeks 5-12: The Django Platform Build (April-June 2025)

Tool: Still Claude.ai, but I was using the Projects feature Method: Better context, but still copy-paste

I created the SEO audit engine and the Django platform:

• I integrated with the Google Sheets API (that took me two full days)
• I built a conditional formatting system
• I added retry logic for failed requests
• I created the entire dashboard system

Reality: 120+ hours for a working platform, but it was fragile and slow to iterate on

Week 13+: Claude Code Changes Everything (Mid-June 2025)

Tool: Claude Code Method: Direct file manipulation, integrated terminal

This was two months of solid development work:

• I built a complete Django admin interface with 15 models
• I built a Wix invoice import system (706 invoices, £120k revenue tracking)
• I built P&L reporting with expense categorisation
• I built marketing automation with email tracking
• I built client success document management
• I built a task management system
• I built a newsletter system with MDX support
• I built a comprehensive Emergency Recovery Kit - a complete disaster recovery system for crashed client sites
• I built real-time audit monitoring with progress tracking

Last 2 Weeks (August 2025): The Astro Website Sprint

While writing this newsletter, I was also:

• I built this entire Astro website (webuildstores.co.uk) from scratch
• I migrated 45+ articles from the old platform
• I designed responsive layouts and components
• I set up the newsletter system with MDX support
• I created audit result pages with dynamic content
• I added SEO optimisation and performance tuning

Reality: Two major projects running simultaneously - Claude Code makes that possible.

I’m coding ten times faster than my old approach. The difference? Claude Code can:

• See your entire codebase context (it reads files automatically)
• Run commands to test changes (integrated terminal)
• Fix errors immediately (no copy-paste cycle)
• Remember patterns from previous sessions (file system awareness)
• Work with multiple tools simultaneously (parallel operations)
• Navigate your project structure intelligently
• Handle git operations (changes, updates, branch management)
• Edit multiple files in one operation
• Debug stack traces and fix issues on the spot
• Search across your entire codebase with context

How Claude Code Actually Works (Real Conversation Examples)

Here are actual conversation excerpts from building real features. Notice how different this is from using Claude in the browser:

Starting a New Feature (Real Example: Wix Invoice Import)

Me: “I need to import 706 Wix invoices from CSV into my Django platform. Can you help?”

Claude Code: “I’ll help you build the invoice import system. Let me first examine your current project structure to understand how your models are organised.”

[Claude Code reads my models.py, examines the file structure]

Claude Code: “I can see you have a Django project with a dashboard app. I notice you’re using Django 4.2 and PostgreSQL. I’ll create Invoice and PaymentRecord models that follow your existing patterns. Should I create these in the dashboard app or would you prefer a separate financial app?”

Me: “Dashboard app is fine.”

Claude Code: “Perfect. I’ll create a list to track this work:

1. Create Invoice and PaymentRecord models
2. Build management command for CSV import
3. Add duplicate detection logic
4. Create admin interface for review

Let me start by adding the models to your existing file…”

[Claude Code reads the existing models file, adds the new models, then creates the management command, tests it, and handles errors - all without me having to copy-paste anything]

Bug Fixing (Real Example: Celery Task Failure)

Me: “My audit task is failing with ‘Connection refused’ error”

Claude Code: “Let me check your current setup. I’ll examine your Celery configuration and task definitions.”

[Claude Code reads multiple files simultaneously - celery.py, settings.py, and the failing task file]

Claude Code: “I see the issue. You’re running Redis on Windows with Memurai, but your Celery broker URL is pointing to the default Redis port. Let me check if your Memurai service is running…”

[Runs a command to check the Windows services]

Claude Code: “Memurai isn’t running. I’ll start the service for you.”

[Starts the service, tests the task - problem solved in two minutes]

A Bigger Feature (Real Example: Dashboard)

Me: “I want to build a system for tracking tasks across all my clients”

Claude Code: “Let me examine your current Client and Document models to understand the relationships, then I’ll design a task management system that integrates properly.”

[Claude Code reads multiple files: models.py, views.py, templates to understand existing patterns]

Claude Code: “I can see you’re using Bootstrap 5 with custom CSS, and you have a clean model structure. I’ll create a task model that links to your existing Client model. For the board view, I’ll use your existing UI patterns.

Let me plan this out:

1. Create a task model with Client relationship
2. Add task status choices (Pending, In Progress, Completed)
3. Build a board template matching your existing UI
4. Add drag-and-drop functionality
5. Create task creation and editing modals
6. Add filtering by client and priority
7. Include document attachment capabilities

Should I proceed with step 1?”

[I say yes, and Claude Code builds each component step by step, testing as it goes, creating the model, the migration, the admin interface, then the views, then the templates - each step building on the previous one]

Real Client Win: The Database Nightmare

The Problem: A client’s WooCommerce site crashed. Years of order data was trapped in corrupted database backups. Their previous developer quoted £2,500 to “rebuild everything from scratch.”

My Solution with Claude Code:

1. I used Claude to write custom SQL extraction scripts
2. I built a Django import system to clean and validate the data
3. I created a reconciliation report showing what I’d recovered
4. I generated customer-friendly order history exports

Time taken: 2 hours Cost: £0.44 (£5.23 divided by 24, times 2) What the client saved: £2,499.56 Data recovered: 100% of orders, 98% of customer records

The client was in tears with relief. Their entire business history was saved.

Then I Built the Emergency Recovery Kit

After that experience, I realised every business needs a disaster recovery system. So I built a comprehensive Emergency Recovery Kit that includes automated backup systems, database recovery scripts, site reconstruction tools, and step-by-step recovery procedures.

Now when a client’s site crashes, instead of panic and expensive emergency calls, there’s a systematic recovery process. That’s the power of turning a one-off solution into a reusable system.

How Claude Code Really Works (Not Linear Stages)

Forget everything you know about “development workflows.” Claude Code is conversational, not staged. Here’s what actually happens:

The Real Pattern

1. I Describe the Problem (30 seconds) “I need to track client payments” or “My audit system keeps timing out”

2. Claude Code Investigates (30-60 seconds) It automatically reads my existing files to understand the context, examines my project structure, identifies relevant models, views, and templates, and sometimes runs commands to check my environment.

3. Claude Code Plans Out Loud (30 seconds) “I can see you’re using Django with PostgreSQL. I’ll create a Payment model that links to your existing Client model. I notice you prefer using UUID primary keys, so I’ll follow that pattern.”

4. We Build Together (Most of the Time) This is where it gets good - it’s not linear steps, it’s a dynamic conversation:

• Claude Code: “I’m creating the Payment model now. Should I include payment method fields like ‘card’, ‘bank transfer’?”
• Me: “Yes, and add a status field too”
• Claude Code: “Perfect, I’ll add status with choices. I’m tracking our progress as we go…”
• Claude Code: “Model created. Now I’m building the admin interface… I notice you use custom CSS classes, so I’ll match those in the forms…”

5. Immediate Testing Unlike browser Claude, Claude Code can run migrations to test the database changes, start the development server to check everything works, run management commands to test functionality, and fix errors immediately without me copy-pasting anything.

6. Claude Code Suggests What’s Next “I’ve got the basic payment tracking working. I notice you might want email notifications when payments are received. Should I build that too?”

What Makes This Different from Browser Claude

Browser Claude:

• I describe what I want
• Claude gives me code to copy-paste
• I paste it into files
• I run into errors
• I paste the errors back to Claude
• I repeat until it works

Claude Code:

• I describe what I want
• Claude Code examines my project automatically
• It writes directly to my files using my existing patterns
• It tests the changes immediately
• It fixes errors without me doing anything
• It suggests related improvements I might want

The Background Magic

Claude Code can monitor things in the background. It knows if the development server is running and can restart it if needed. It runs database migrations automatically. It can run tests and fix issues. It checks static file configuration if CSS isn’t loading.

This is why I’m developing 40 times faster. No context switching, no copy-paste errors, no forgetting where I put things.

The Features I Built This Week

Monday: Emergency recovery system for crashed client sites Tuesday: Automated audit presentation generator with custom branding Wednesday: Multi-source SEO intelligence dashboard Thursday: Financial P&L reporting with expense categorisation Friday: Marketing automation with conversation tracking

Each feature is production-ready and handling real business operations right now.

Why Smart Business Owners Are Learning AI Development

The development landscape has changed dramatically. What used to require expensive agency teams can now be accomplished by business owners working with AI tools.

Smart business owners are recognising this shift and I’m seeing them adapt fast. Instead of waiting weeks for agencies and paying premium rates, they’re learning to work directly with AI tools like Claude Code.

The reality: Most “custom development” projects are combinations of standard patterns. Claude Code knows these patterns and can implement them consistently and quickly.

The new economics:

• Basic websites: I can build with AI assistance for £5/day instead of the £3,000+ an agency would charge
• Bigger systems: AI-guided development with occasional expert consultation runs to £500-1,500 instead of £10,000+ for a full agency build
• Bug fixes: I can usually solve them in 30 minutes with AI, instead of paying £300+ for an emergency callout

This isn’t about replacing developers - it’s about smart business owners taking control of their technology and working more efficiently.

What I Learned The Hard Way

The Copy-Paste Nightmare

In the early days with Claude.ai in the browser, I’d copy code and paste it into files without understanding the structure. I spent hours debugging import errors because I didn’t understand Python’s module system. Claude Code eliminates this entirely by working directly with your files and understanding your project structure automatically.

Context Is Everything

The biggest breakthrough came when I realised Claude Code remembers my entire project. In the browser, I was constantly re-explaining what I’d built. With Claude Code, I can say “update the audit system to handle timeouts” and it responds with “Let me examine your current audit file…” - it immediately knows which audit system, which files, and how they connect.

Start Small, Then Scale

My best results still come from building one small feature completely, then expanding. But Claude Code accelerates the expansion phase dramatically. Instead of “build an entire CRM system,” I say “create a Contact model” and Claude Code often responds with “I’ll create the Contact model, and I can see you’ll probably want Campaign and EmailLog models too - should I plan those out?”

This Week’s Action Step: The “Business Problem” Test

Forget “Hello World” - that’s for computer science students. Here’s the test that matters:

Step 1: Pick One Real Business Problem (10 minutes)

Examples from my own journey:

• “I need to track which invoices are paid and which are unpaid”
• “I want to see which clients haven’t been contacted in 30 days”
• “I need to know which website audits found the most problems”

Step 2: Start a Claude Code Session (5 minutes)

Your First Prompt:

"I run a [your business type] and I have this problem: [your problem].
I want to build a simple Django app to track this. Can you help me
understand what data I need to store and create a basic structure?"

Step 3: Follow the Build (30 minutes)

Let Claude Code create the Django project, design the models, build a simple admin interface, run migrations and start the development server for you to test. It’ll ask clarifying questions about your specific needs as it goes.

What Makes This Different: Claude Code will do all of this without you copy-pasting anything. It creates files, runs commands, tests things work, and fixes any errors automatically.

Step 4: The Moment of Truth

If you can see your real business data in the Django admin, you’ve just crossed the bridge from “user” to “builder.”

If you get stuck, reply with “HELP” and I’ll send you my exact starter template. But try it first - you’ll surprise yourself.

Next Week: Behind the Scenes

“The Real Cost of Building vs Buying”

I’m going to share why I spent months building a custom Django platform instead of using existing tools. The real numbers: time invested, costs avoided, capabilities gained. The breakthrough moments and the frustrating late nights. How the custom platform delivers results that generic tools simply can’t. And the client impact that made it all worthwhile.

Until next Thursday,

Tony Cooper Founder, We Build Stores

P.S. - Building something with AI? Hit reply and tell me about it. I read every email.

Ready to get started? Download Claude Code here - it’s free to try.

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