Set up your local AI business workspace
Choose Mac or Windows, connect Claude Code or Codex to a local folder, and install the skills for a business repository you can keep building on.
Your computer. Your path.
Choose your setup, prepare one folder, then take the commands with you. Everything runs in the tools you choose.
Choose one app to start. Check its current device requirements and your account’s access.
Read every step and promptMac + Codex
ChatGPT Desktop → Codex
Install the current ChatGPT desktop app, sign in, and choose Codex from the top-left menu. Open your business folder as a local project.
Download ChatGPT Desktop (opens in a new tab)Prepare your tools
Use Git from Apple’s Command Line Tools and install Node.js LTS with its graphical installer. Reopen Terminal after installation.
Open the same folder in your terminal
Create Documents/my-business-repository and select it in your AI app. In Finder, choose View → Show Path Bar. Control-click the business folder in the path bar, then choose Open in Terminal.
In both installers, choose codex and Project scope. Your agent’s project skills path is .agents/skills/
1. Install the foundation skills
With Git and Node.js LTS installed, open a normal terminal at your business folder. Paste this command there. Review the package prompt, select your chosen agent, and choose Project scope. Wait for the installer to report success before continuing.
npx skills add mattpocock/skills --skill wayfinder --skill grilling --skill domain-modeling --skill research --skill prototype
2. Add the CoreUX skills
Run the second command in the same terminal and folder. Keep the double quotes around the asterisk: they tell the installer to select all skills in the CoreUX catalog. Use the same agent and Project scope as before.
npx skills add coreuxio/skills --skill "*"
3. Begin your business repository
Return to Claude’s Code tab or the Codex view, with the same local folder open. Paste this prompt into the AI conversation, not the terminal. Read the proposed file changes and answer the first business question in your own words.
Use $business-structure in this folder. Set up or repair my local Business Repository, then begin the Business Profile step. Ask me exactly one business question at a time, record my answers in the repository, and do not invent business decisions for me.
Commands and app routes checked against source documentation on September 4, 2026. Installer commands were not run during this refresh; the full Windows route has not been verified hands-on.
Give your business context a home
A useful AI workflow starts with context you can inspect. Your offers, audience, constraints, and decisions need somewhere to live after a chat ends. In this guide, that home is a Business Repository: an ordinary folder containing readable Markdown files. You can open it in a desktop AI agent, review what changes, and return to it next session. You do not need to become a programmer to start. Most preparation happens through familiar download pages and folder windows; the terminal is used for two skills-installation commands.
Before you download anything
Choose the computer and account you intend to use for this business. You need internet access, permission to install software, and access to the local-agent feature in your chosen desktop app. App availability depends on your plan, workspace settings, hardware, and operating system. Check the publisher’s current requirements before installing. The complete route also needs Git and Node.js, so a computer that can run the chat app alone may still need an update. If your company manages the device, ask its administrator to handle a blocked installer.
- Choose one route first: Claude Desktop’s Code tab, or Codex inside the current ChatGPT desktop app.
- Have access to the account you will sign in with; a browser chat alone does not connect this local workspace.
- Reserve a folder for this business and keep a backup of important existing files before inviting an agent to edit them.
Mac + Claude Code
Download Claude Desktop from Anthropic and follow its macOS installation instructions. Open the app, sign in, and choose the Code tab. When creating a session, choose Local and select your business folder. The desktop app includes Claude Code; this route does not require a separate Claude CLI installation. Keep the folder visible in the session so you can confirm where changes will happen. For the skills installer, choose the agent named claude-code. Its project skills are made available through .claude/skills/ in the selected folder.
Windows + Claude Code
Install Claude Desktop using Anthropic’s Windows download. Install Git for Windows with its graphical installer, then fully quit and reopen Claude. Anthropic requires Git for local Code sessions on Windows. Sign in, choose Code, choose the Local environment, and select your business folder. Use a normal folder on your Windows filesystem for this guide. When the skills installer asks for an agent, choose claude-code and Project scope. If Code is unavailable, check your account access and the official desktop guidance before continuing with the commands.
Mac + Codex
Download the current ChatGPT desktop app from OpenAI, install it, and sign in. Open the top-left experience menu and choose Codex, then open your business folder as a local project. Existing Codex app users can follow OpenAI’s update path to the current desktop app. Use the main desktop download rather than the separately listed Classic app. The skills installer still names this agent codex. Choose Project scope; the project’s skills are stored under .agents/skills/. Check the folder selected in Codex matches the folder where you run both commands.
Windows + Codex
Use OpenAI’s current Windows desktop download route to the main ChatGPT app in Microsoft Store. Let the Store report compatibility for your device. Install, launch, and sign in; choose Codex from the top-left menu and open your business folder locally. This guide uses a native Windows folder and Command Prompt for the installation stage. A separate WSL environment is not required for this path. Select codex and Project scope in the skills installer. The project skills belong under .agents/skills/ inside the same business folder.
Prepare Git and Node.js
Git lets the skills installer retrieve the public repositories. On Windows, use the Git for Windows graphical installer. On Mac, use Git supplied by Apple’s Command Line Tools; Apple documents its installer package and system installation prompt. If the first skills command opens Apple’s developer-tools dialog, complete it, open a fresh terminal at your folder, and retry. Install Node.js using the official LTS graphical installer for your operating system, keeping npm included. npm provides npx, the command used below. Reopen any terminal that was already running before installation.
Create one folder and open it in both places
In Documents, create a folder named my-business-repository. The name is a starting suggestion; an existing business folder is also fine. You do not need to create a GitHub repository or publish anything to use this guide. Select that folder in your chosen desktop agent, then open a terminal at exactly the same location. The terminal’s working folder determines where project skills are installed. The desktop agent’s selected folder determines which business files it sees. Keeping these aligned avoids the common problem of a successful install that appears missing in the app.
Scroll sideways to see all columns.
| Computer | Open a terminal at the folder |
|---|---|
| Mac | Open the folder in Finder. Choose View → Show Path Bar if needed. Control-click my-business-repository in the bottom path bar and choose Open in Terminal. |
| Windows | Open my-business-repository in File Explorer. Click the address bar that shows the folder path, type cmd, and press Enter. Command Prompt should open at that folder. |
Understand the two installation commands
The first command installs five foundation skills from Matt Pocock’s public repository: wayfinder, grilling, domain-modeling, research, and prototype. CoreUX workflows use these supporting disciplines when needed. The second installs the CoreUX catalog, including the business-structure entry point. Both commands appear in full in the step-by-step guide on this page. Copy them one at a time into Terminal or Command Prompt, press Enter, and finish each installer before starting the next. The quoted asterisk in the second command means all skills in that source, not all agents on your computer.
- Review any npx package confirmation and check that it identifies the expected skills CLI.
- Use the arrow keys and selection controls shown by the installer to choose claude-code or codex.
- Choose Project scope so the installation belongs to this folder; keep the same choice for both commands.
- Use the default symlink method when available. If symlinks fail, use the installer’s Copy option rather than changing system permissions.
- Read the final summary. If it shows an unexpected source, folder, or agent, correct the selection before proceeding.
Check discovery before the first business question
After both installers report success, reopen the business folder or start a fresh session in the desktop app. This gives the agent a chance to discover the project skills. If you want a read-only check, ask: “Show me the project skills available in this folder. Do not change any files.” Look for business-structure. If it is missing, compare the app’s selected folder with the installer destination and confirm the agent choice. Once discovery works, paste the kickoff prompt from step three into the AI conversation. The installation commands belong in the terminal; the kickoff prompt belongs in the app.
What a useful first session leaves behind
The initial session should create or repair the repository’s business, design, content, and projects areas as needed, then begin your Business Profile. Your job is to supply the facts: what the business does, who it serves, where it is today, and what is still uncertain. Read the files after the first answer is recorded. A useful record distinguishes your decisions from assumptions and keeps a visible current focus. A long, polished document is not evidence that those decisions have been made. Review the substance before moving to audience, offers, or brand work.
- business/ holds the profile, audience, offers, decisions, and planning context.
- design/ holds brand direction and the design context future work will need.
- content/ holds reusable content and content-package references.
- projects/ holds focused business projects and their working material.
Return to the same workspace next time
Open the same local folder and ask: “Use $business-structure to read this Business Repository, tell me the current focus, and continue with exactly one unanswered business question or one unblocked next step.” This makes the saved files the starting context for the next conversation. You can change agents later, provided the new agent has the skills and access to the same folder. Local files make the context inspectable and portable; they do not create unlimited model memory. Important facts still need to be recorded clearly, and the agent needs to read the relevant files before acting.
Recover without starting over
When something fails, keep the folder and read the specific error before changing anything. If npx is not recognized, finish the Node.js LTS installation and open a fresh terminal at the business folder. If Git is missing, complete the graphical Git or Apple tools installation, then restart the terminal; also restart Claude on Windows. If a download fails, check connectivity and the named repository, then retry the same command. A managed-device restriction needs administrator help. Avoid solving a folder-selection or installer problem by deleting the workspace or granting the agent broader access.
- Wrong folder: close that terminal and reopen it from the correct folder. Review any misplaced files before removing them.
- Missing skills: check Project scope, the target agent, and the destination, then refresh the desktop session.
- Symlink error: choose Copy in the installer when available.
- Unexpected behavior: stop the session, preserve the error text, and use the linked publisher documentation to resolve that specific issue.
Source checks and testing limits
This web guide adapts the owner-approved CoreUX Episode 1 setup guide. App routes, CLI syntax, public skill names, and Node requirements were checked against the linked sources on September 4, 2026. Installer commands were inspected, not executed as part of this refresh. The earlier Windows observation covered the current ChatGPT download, launch, sign-in, Codex view, and local-folder chooser on Windows 11 Home 25H2. It did not validate the complete Windows installation route. The File Explorer cmd shortcut is supported by Microsoft-hosted community guidance; it is not a full Windows 10 or Windows 11 hands-on test.
Sources & further reading
The complete guide.
Read every step, prompt, and review check in one place. The examples use the context below; use the interactive workflow above to make them your own.
1. Install the foundation skills
With Git and Node.js LTS installed, open a normal terminal at your business folder. Paste this command there. Review the package prompt, select your chosen agent, and choose Project scope. Wait for the installer to report success before continuing.
Example prompt npx skills add mattpocock/skills --skill wayfinder --skill grilling --skill domain-modeling --skill research --skill prototype
Review checklist
- The terminal is open at my-business-repository, the same folder selected in your desktop app.
- The installer shows mattpocock/skills and all five named skills.
- The target is claude-code for Claude’s Code tab, or codex for Codex, with Project scope.
- The installer reports success; an error message has been resolved before proceeding.
2. Add the CoreUX skills
Run the second command in the same terminal and folder. Keep the double quotes around the asterisk: they tell the installer to select all skills in the CoreUX catalog. Use the same agent and Project scope as before.
Example prompt npx skills add coreuxio/skills --skill "*"
Review checklist
- The source is coreuxio/skills, and business-structure is included.
- The same target agent and Project scope are selected.
- The installation reports success, then the desktop workspace has been reopened or refreshed.
3. Begin your business repository
Return to Claude’s Code tab or the Codex view, with the same local folder open. Paste this prompt into the AI conversation, not the terminal. Read the proposed file changes and answer the first business question in your own words.
Example prompt Use $business-structure in this folder. Set up or repair my local Business Repository, then begin the Business Profile step. Ask me exactly one business question at a time, record my answers in the repository, and do not invent business decisions for me.
Review checklist
- The agent recognizes business-structure and is working in the intended folder.
- The business, design, content, and projects areas are created or repaired as needed.
- Your answers are recorded as facts; unanswered decisions remain open questions.
- You can identify the current focus and the next question in the repository.
What you’re working toward.
A local business workspace with the foundation and CoreUX skills available to your chosen agent, a readable repository structure, and a first business-profile conversation. Confirm those results in your files and app; checking boxes on this page cannot verify an installation.