Your first ten minutes: three real wins

Reading about Claude only gets you so far. The moment it “clicks” is when it does something genuinely useful for you. Let’s make that happen, three times, in ten minutes.

Remember: you can’t break it. If an answer isn’t what you wanted, just say so, or start a new chat.

Win 1: the message you’ve been putting off ✉️

We all have one: a thank-you note, a tricky email, a reply to the council. Type something like this, changing the words in [brackets]:

Help me write a short, friendly [email / text / card] to [who]
about [what]. The main thing I want to say is [your point].
Keep it under 100 words.

Example:

Help me write a short, friendly email to my neighbour Jean,
thanking her for taking in my parcel while I was away.
I'd like to offer to return the favour. Keep it under 80 words.

Read the answer. Now ask for a change: type “make it a bit warmer” or “shorter please”. Watch it rewrite in seconds.

When you’re happy, click the copy 📋 icon under the answer and paste it into your email.

✅ Win 1 done!

Win 2: make sense of a confusing letter 📄

Find a letter, form or leaflet that confused you. It could be from the council, the bank, the energy company or the GP surgery.

On a phone: tap +, choose Camera or Photos, and take or pick a photo of the letter. On a computer: click + or 📎 and choose the scanned letter, or simply type out the confusing part.

🔴 Before you share a photo, cover or cut out account numbers and reference numbers. A thumb or a piece of paper works fine.

Then type:

Please explain this letter in plain English. What is it asking
me to do, by when, and is there anything I should worry about?

Want more? Ask “What does [word] mean?” or “What should I say if I phone them?”

✅ Win 2 done!

Win 3: plan something nice 🗓️

Let’s finish with something enjoyable. Pick one:

Plan a relaxed day out in [town/area] for [who]. We like [things].
[Anything to consider, e.g. "Mum uses a walking stick"].
Keep it gentle, with a nice lunch stop.

I've got [ingredients in your fridge]. Suggest two easy dinners
for [number] people that take under 30 minutes.

Help me plan a small [birthday / anniversary] get-together for
[number] people at home. Budget about £[amount].
Give me a simple checklist.

✅ Win 3 done!

Look what you just did

In ten minutes you:

• ✉️ wrote a message, and improved it with a follow-up
• 📄 understood a confusing letter
• 🗓️ planned something nice

That’s genuinely useful AI, used safely, by you. Well done.

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🎁 That’s the end of your free taster

You’ve got the basics: who’s who, getting in, finding your way around, staying safe, and your first wins.

The complete guide goes much further:

• Chapter 7: the simple W.H.A.T. formula that turns “meh” answers into brilliant ones
• Chapter 8: 12 worked examples for everyday life: health appointments, bills, family, hobbies, travel and more
• Chapter 9: 12 worked examples for running a business
• Chapter 10: Projects, memory, photos, files and voice: making Claude truly yours
• Chapter 11: when things go wrong, and how to fix them
• Chapter 12: the jargon buster, cheat sheets and what to do next

It’s all in The Dead Easy New Start Pack, along with large-print editions, printable cheat-sheet cards, and an AI tutor that walks you through every chapter.