Question 1

What is Claude Code, really?

Accepted Answer

Claude Code is Anthropic's AI coding assistant that runs in your terminal and inside editors. You describe what you want in plain English — build a page, fix a bug, generate a report — and it writes and edits the files for you. It's the same underlying model as Claude.ai, but wired up to do real work on your computer.

Question 2

Do I need to know how to code to use Claude Code?

Accepted Answer

No. If you can describe the outcome you want in plain English, Claude Code can do most of the work. You'll pick up a bit of vocabulary along the way — terminal, commit, deploy — but you don't need a CS degree. You need curiosity and a willingness to try small things.

Question 3

What can I actually do with Claude Code in 10 minutes?

Accepted Answer

Build a one-page website and deploy it to a real URL. Turn a messy spreadsheet into a clean chart. Draft five personalised cold emails from a list of leads. Summarise a call transcript into action items. Generate a branded PDF proposal. Ten minutes is enough for a small, real, finished thing.

Question 4

What's the difference between ChatGPT and Claude?

Accepted Answer

ChatGPT (by OpenAI) and Claude (by Anthropic) are both frontier AI assistants. They're comparable for most writing and reasoning tasks. I prefer Claude for long-form writing, nuanced editing, and coding — it tends to handle context carefully and follow detailed instructions well. Pick the one you enjoy using. Fluency matters more than brand.

Question 5

How do I get started with AI for my small business?

Accepted Answer

Pick one task you already do every week that drains you — writing proposals, chasing quotes, replying to the same five questions — and automate that one task with AI. Don't try to AI-ify your whole business on day one. One task. One week. One small win. Then stack another.

Question 6

What is AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation)?

Accepted Answer

AEO is optimising your content to be cited and quoted by AI answer engines — Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, ChatGPT's search, Claude. Instead of ranking for clicks, you're ranking to become the source an AI quotes. Structured content (FAQs, clear headings, schema markup) and trustworthy authorship are the fundamentals.

Question 7

Where is Paul Saunders based?

Accepted Answer

I'm based in Perth, Western Australia (AWST, UTC+8). I work with business owners globally — Perth, Sydney, Auckland, London, New York. Claude Code doesn't care what time zone you're in.

Question 8

How much does it cost to use Claude Code?

Accepted Answer

Claude Code has a free tier for light use, and paid plans from around USD $20/month for heavier workloads. Pricing and limits change — check anthropic.com/claude-code for current plans. For most small-business experimentation, the entry plan is plenty.

Question 9

Can I DM you on Instagram with a specific question?

Accepted Answer

Yes. I read every message on @paulsaunders.ai. Specific questions get specific answers. Vague ones get vague ones — so tell me what you're building, what you've tried, and where you're stuck.

Question 10

What does "tiny confident steps" mean?

Accepted Answer

It's my operating principle. Most business owners freeze because AI feels too big — where do I even start? Tiny confident steps means: shrink the next action until it's embarrassingly small, do it, see that it worked, then do the next one. Confidence compounds faster than ambition.

Honest answers.