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Aqua · Cowork onboarding · Wed Apr 29, 2026 · 60 min

Welcome David & Joe

Today we'll get you set up with Cowork as a teammate — not a tool. Folders, connectors, skills, your voice. By the end of the hour, your Mac will deliver your morning brief at 7am every weekday.

Goal: Control HubSpot in plain English Outcome: Live morning brief scheduled Style: Aqua-branded outputs throughout
Say: "Hey guys. Hour today. Goal isn't to make you experts — goal is to make Cowork useful enough on Day 2 that you keep using it without me. We'll set up, do one thing real, and lock a weekly time. Cool?"
Outcome What you'll have at 4pm
Aqua™

Three things, working before we hang up

1

CRM in plain English

Update HubSpot deals, contacts, notes, and tasks by talking. No more clicks.

2

7am morning brief

Scheduled. Pulls Calendar + Gmail + Slack + Fireflies + HubSpot. Drops in your folder + DMs you.

3

Aqua-styled dashboards

Every visualization Claude makes uses our palette and type. Looks like Aqua, not generic SaaS.

Say: "Three real outcomes. If we hit all three, today's a win. If we hit two, still a win — we cover the third next week."
Agenda The hour, block by block
Aqua™

How we'll spend the 60 minutes

5min

1 — Framing

What Cowork actually is. Why it's different from web Claude.

10min

2 — First launch + perms

Open Cowork. Permissions pre-flight. Pick your folder.

10min

3 — Install everything

Drop in all skills. Install marketplace plugins. Verify.

5min

4 — Personalize

Fill out your soul.md. Voice, role, shorthand.

12min

5 — Connect tools

HubSpot, Gmail, Calendar, Slack, Fireflies.

15min

6 — Live demo + schedule

Run the morning brief live. Schedule it. Hand off cheat sheet.

Say: "We're installing skills BEFORE we connect tools. That way when we hit the live demo, every output is Aqua-branded by default. Order matters."
Block 1 · 5min Mental model
Aqua™

Cowork is a teammate — not a chatbot

The shift you need to make: stop asking it to "give you an answer." Start asking it to "do the thing."

Web Claude (what you know)

  • You paste, it answers
  • One conversation, then gone
  • Doesn't see your screen, files, or apps
  • Output stays in the chat box
  • Can't act on your behalf
→

Cowork (what's new)

  • Sees your screen, opens your apps
  • Reads & writes files in your Cowork folder
  • Connects to HubSpot, Gmail, Slack, Fireflies
  • Remembers context via your soul.md
  • Can run on a schedule (7am brief)
Say: "Same brain, different body. Treat it like a smart new analyst who joined this week. Brief it, point at things, push back. That's the muscle."
Block 2 · 10min First launch
Aqua™

Open Cowork for the first time

  1. Open Claude Desktop on your Mac.Already installed — we confirmed last week.
  2. Click the Cowork mode toggle in the bottom-left.Bottom-left of the chat input. Looks like a folder icon.
  3. Approve the prompt: "Allow Claude to access your Mac."Don't worry — we'll set fine-grained permissions next.
  4. You'll see a sidebar appear with file/artifact tabs.That's the Cowork panel. Pin it open.
Do this now (both of you)
  • Open Claude Desktop, toggle Cowork mode, share screens with me
  • If anything looks different from David's, we figure it out together
Say: "I want both of you to do this on your own machine, not watch me. Muscle memory matters. If you hit a snag, freeze the screen and I'll talk you through."
Block 2 · critical Permissions pre-flight
Aqua™

Set these before the live demo

If we don't, you'll hit "Claude is not allowed to..." mid-flow and the demo dies. 5 minutes here saves the hour.

System Settings → Privacy & Security

  • Accessibility → toggle Claude on
  • Screen Recording → toggle Claude on
  • Files & Folders → Claude → grant Documents
  • Automation → Claude → allow Mail, Slack, Safari
  • Full Disk Access → optional, skip for now

Why each matters

  • Accessibility = lets it click and type for you
  • Screen Recording = lets it "look" at your screen
  • Files & Folders = lets it save outputs you can find
  • Automation = avoids per-app prompts mid-task
Do this now
  • Apple menu → System Settings → Privacy & Security
  • Toggle each of the four switches above for Claude
  • Hit "approve always" if it pops up — you can revoke later
Say: "Most people skip this and pay for it. We're going to do it together. Don't think about it — toggle them all on."
Block 2 Pick your Cowork folder
Aqua™

One folder. No nesting.

When Cowork prompts you for a working folder, pick exactly this:

Folder path ~/Documents/Cowork

If it doesn't exist, create it. Don't make subfolders today. Everything goes in there. Sort by date in Finder. That's the system.

After you pick it

  1. Open Finder, go to ~/DocumentsDrag the Cowork folder into Finder's left sidebar so it's one click away.
  2. Drop the file kit I sent you into Cowork/The whole cowork-onboarding-david-joe folder I shared.
Do this now
  • When prompted, set the folder to ~/Documents/Cowork
  • Drag the folder into Finder sidebar
  • Drop my kit folder into Cowork
Say: "Resist the urge to organize. One folder, no subfolders, sort by date. We can get fancy later. Today: simple."
Block 2 Hello-world test
Aqua™

First prompt: prove it works

Before we install anything, prove the basics work end-to-end. Tiny prompt, real file.

Type into Cowork Save a file called hello.txt in my Cowork folder. The contents should say "Cowork is working — [date]".
What to watch for
  • Claude asks permission to write to your Documents folder — approve
  • You'll see a computer:// link in the response — click it to open the file
  • Open Finder → Cowork folder → confirm hello.txt is there
Say: "This is the smallest possible 'it works' moment. From here, it's all the same loop — ask, watch it act, find the file, iterate."
Block 3 · 10min Install ALL skills upfront
Aqua™

Drop in every skill before we go further

Why upfront? When we run the live demo at the end, every output will already be Aqua-styled, branded, and using the right voice. Skills first, demo second.

A Aqua custom skills (13)

  1. In Finder, press Cmd + Shift + GThat's "Go to folder"
  2. Paste ~/.claude/skills/ and EnterIf it doesn't exist, create the folder
  3. Open my kit's skills-to-install/ folderInside cowork-onboarding-david-joe
  4. Select all 13 Aqua skill folders, drag into ~/.claude/skills/aqua-design-system, copy-writer, campaign-assets, all the rest

B Marketplace plugins (2)

  1. Click the plugin marketplace in Cowork sidebarPuzzle-piece icon
  2. Search sales → InstallDaily-briefing, pipeline-review, draft-outreach, etc.
  3. Search productivity → InstallMemory, tasks, schedule. Reads your soul.md.
  4. Quit Claude (Cmd + Q), relaunchCowork re-scans skills on startup
Verify
  • Type into Cowork: "List every skill you have, grouped by source"
  • You should see 13 Aqua skills + sales + productivity + Anthropic core
Say: "The skill files I sent are already in the kit folder. You're literally just dragging them. Don't open them, don't read them, don't customize. Drag, drop, restart Cowork."
Block 4 · 5min Personalize your voice
Aqua™

Make Cowork sound like you

The productivity plugin reads a file called soul.md in your Cowork folder. It teaches Claude your voice, role, shorthand, accounts, and people. 30 seconds of editing here saves an hour of correcting later.

What goes in your soul.md

  • Who you are — name, role, what you sell, ICP
  • Voice — direct/warm, short/long, things to never say
  • Your world — people, accounts, codenames
  • Cadence — what scheduled outputs should always include
  • Never-do list — guardrails for what Claude shouldn't auto-do

Right now, together

  1. Open soul-md-template.md from my kitIt's in your Cowork folder
  2. Save a copy as soul.md directly in ~/Documents/Cowork/Not in a subfolder
  3. Fill the brackets — I'll prompt you5 min each, we do David then Joe
Live, together
  • Names, roles, ICPs, territories
  • 3-5 voice rules each ("never say robust," "no em-dashes")
  • 3-5 key accounts they'll mention this quarter
  • Save it. Claude reads it on the next prompt.
Say: "This is the file that makes the difference between 'AI tool' and 'teammate.' We do this together — I prompt, you answer, I type. Five min each."
Block 5 · 12min Connect HubSpot first
Aqua™

The most important connector

HubSpot is the spine. Once it's connected, every other workflow gets richer.

  1. In Cowork sidebar, click the Connectors tabPlug icon
  2. Find HubSpot → click ConnectBrowser opens
  3. Sign in with your Aqua HubSpot accountSame one you use daily
  4. Approve scopes (read & write deals, contacts, notes, tasks)Yes to all
  5. Browser closes, back in Cowork — green checkmarkYou're in.

Verify with one prompt

Type Show me my five most recently updated HubSpot deals, with stage, amount, and last activity.

You should see your real deals. If you don't, your owner ID isn't claimed — we fix that now.

Say: "Most issues with HubSpot connections are owner-ID problems. If your deals don't show up, tell me — 30-second fix."
Block 5 Connect the other four
Aqua™

Same flow, four more times

Each is a 30-second connect. We'll do them in this order:

2

Gmail

Reads threads, drafts emails (never sends without OK).

VerifyList my last 3 emails from prospects.
3

Calendar

Today's meetings, suggest times, scheduling.

VerifyWhat meetings do I have today and tomorrow?
4

Slack

Read channels & DMs, drafts messages.

VerifyWhat's new in #sales in the last 24 hours?
5

Fireflies

Call transcripts and summaries.

VerifySummarize my Fireflies meetings from yesterday.
Say: "Each connection is the same dance: click Connect, sign in, approve, verify with a one-liner. We move fast — 90 seconds each. If one fails, skip and come back."
Block 6 · 15min · the aha Live demo
Aqua™

Run your first morning brief

This is the moment. We've installed everything, connected everything, personalized everything. Now we run it once, see it work, and schedule it.

Paste this — David's version Run my morning brief. Pull from: today's calendar, the last 24h of Gmail, my open HubSpot deals (sorted by close date), any Fireflies call summaries from yesterday, and Slack mentions in #sales and #revenue. Output as an Aqua-styled dashboard saved to my Cowork folder.
What to watch
  • Claude announces which tools it's calling — that's good, transparency
  • Asks permission as needed — approve always for this session
  • Output: an HTML file with KPI cards, deal table, meeting list, in Aqua palette
  • Saved to ~/Documents/Cowork/morning-brief-2026-04-29.html
Say: "We do this on David's machine first. If it lands, we do it on Joe's with his data. If it doesn't land, we figure out which connector hiccupped — usually 30 seconds."
Block 6 What the output looks like
Aqua™

Aqua-styled, by default

Because aqua-design-system is installed, every dashboard auto-uses Linen background, serif KPIs, pill tags, our palette. No prompting required.

Wed Apr 29 · Morning brief
Today, at a glance
Open ARR
$2.4M
+ 12% wk
Deals stuck >14d
7
↑ 2 from Mon
Calls today
4
2 net-new prospects
Acme Wealth · 3:00pm
Last touch: 7d ago. Read this Fireflies summary first.Discovery
Mountain Trust expansion · 4:30pm
Closed-won Q1. Now scoping seat expansion.Expansion
Say: "This is what Linen-background, serif-KPI Aqua looks like. Every dashboard, every report, every email signature element. No more generic SaaS gradients."
Block 6 · the magic Schedule it
Aqua™

Make it run every weekday at 7am

One more prompt. After this, you don't have to do anything. You wake up, brief is in your folder + Slack DM. This is the moment Cowork becomes invisible — the best kind.

Paste this Schedule the morning brief above to run every weekday at 7am Pacific. Save the output to my Cowork folder as morning-brief-{YYYY-MM-DD}.html, and DM me the top three items in Slack so I see them on my phone.
Verify
  • Claude confirms: "Scheduled. First run: tomorrow Apr 30 at 7am PT."
  • You can list scheduled tasks anytime: "Show me my scheduled tasks"
  • You can pause / edit / delete the schedule with another prompt
Say: "Tomorrow morning at 7am, you'll get a Slack DM. Open it on your phone before you even open your laptop. That's the new normal."
Block 6 · bonus if time CRM by voice
Aqua™

Update HubSpot in plain English

If we have 3 minutes left, this seals it. The thing that gets you back to selling instead of clicking.

Try one Update the [Acme Wealth] deal in HubSpot to "Negotiation." Add a note: "They confirmed budget; legal review is the gate." Create a follow-up task for me Friday at 10am: "Send redlines to their counsel."
Or this Show me everything stuck in pipeline for > 21 days. For each, suggest a one-line outreach hook based on the last Fireflies call.

What Claude does

  • Shows you the change before saving
  • Asks "confirm?" — you say yes
  • Updates HubSpot, creates the task
  • Confirms with a link to the deal

Never auto-saves without your green light. You stay in control.

Say: "This is the productivity gain. Stage updates, notes, tasks — all in plain English. Save your clicks for the calls."
Block 7 · 3min Wrap
Aqua™

Your cheat sheet — keep it open

In your Cowork folder, you have 01-cheat-sheet.html. Open it once, bookmark it in Safari/Chrome. It's your reference for the next month.

What's on it

  • How to ask — 5 voice rules
  • Starter prompts — 6 to copy-paste
  • Where outputs go — file locations
  • When stuck — what to do when Claude misses
  • Permissions checklist — for reference
  • Standing cadence — what's coming next 4 weeks

Three rules to remember

  1. Update soul.md when Claude misses30 sec of editing > 1 hr of correcting
  2. Always end on a saved file in your folderOutputs aren't real until you can see them in Finder
  3. Push the thumbs-downIt's the feedback loop — Anthropic sees it
Say: "Print the cheat sheet if you want — it's designed for letter portrait. Or just leave it as a tab in your browser. Reference it for two weeks, then you won't need it."
Block 7 What's next
Aqua™

The standing weekly — next four weeks

Same time every week. Each session builds on the last. By week four, you're running custom workflows tuned to your channel.

Wk 1 · Today

Setup & first brief

Folder, perms, skills, plugins, soul.md, 5 connectors, scheduled brief, first inline viz.

Wk 2

HubSpot fluency

Pipeline review automation. Apollo connector. Custom HubSpot views by voice. Slack-to-CRM auto-logging.

Wk 3

Outbound + dashboards

Cold email sequences via copy-writer. Joe's channel-specific live dashboards. Account research at scale.

Wk 4

Custom plugin tuning

Bake stage names, Slack channels, signatures into plugin config. soul.md tuning round 2.

Say: "Lock the time before you log off. Same 60 min, same day, same Zoom link. We can shorten in 6 weeks if you're flying."
Wrap Questions, then we're done
Aqua™

Anything weird, stuck, or unclear?

Last 3 minutes are yours. Ask anything. Things to flag if no questions:

Common day-2 questions

  • "Why didn't my brief use my soul.md voice?" → It will. Restart Cowork once.
  • "It updated my HubSpot deal wrong" → Tell it; it'll undo + ask why you wanted differently
  • "Can I share an output with the team?" → Yes — it's an HTML file, attach in Slack/Email
  • "Is my data safe?" → Local-first. Connectors use OAuth. Anthropic's terms apply.

Before we hang up

  1. Confirm tomorrow's 7am brief is scheduledSay: "show me my scheduled tasks"
  2. Cheat sheet open in browserOne bookmark each
  3. Standing weekly slot booked in calendarI'll send the invite right now
  4. Slack me when your first 7am brief landsTomorrow — that's the proof
Say: "When tomorrow's brief lands, screenshot it and Slack me. That's how I know you're set up. Anything weird before, ping me — same channel."