NSLS Builder Toolkit
From nothing to a fully set-up builder in about 15–20 minutes. Easy.
Why Claude Code?
Maybe you're already in Claude chat, or in Cowork. Claude Code is the step up — same Claude, far more reach. Three game changes.
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50+ power skills, built by your team
This is a big one — only available in Claude Code. One command replaces an afternoon: /harvest-meeting turns a recording into decisions and next steps, /role-coach coaches you against the role you actually have, /gdoc-build produces a branded NSLS doc. You'll have the whole library about fifteen minutes from now.
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You never write a line of code
Don't let the name put you off — the "code" is Claude's job, not yours. You describe what you want in plain English and it builds the thing: a branded doc, a deck, a dashboard, a page on a real link. If you can write an email, you can do this.
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It works inside your real tools
Slack, Google Drive, Calendar, Gmail, Fathom, Asana all connect. Ask what was decided on Tuesday and it goes and finds out.
Before you set off, have these ready
- Your computer — plugged in or well charged, Mac or Windows
- Your NSLS Google account and password — you'll sign in during Step 1
- 15–20 uninterrupted minutes — this goes fastest in one sitting, though it's fine to split across two if you need to
The steps
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Install Claude and sign in
- Download Claude Desktop from claude.com/download, install it, and open it.
- Sign in with your NSLS Google account.
- Click the Code tab at the top.
You're done when you're signed in and looking at the Code tab.
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Say yes to Git
On a Mac? You almost certainly already have Git — skip straight to Step 3. (If Claude ever asks, just say yes.)
- Git is a small tool Claude uses behind the scenes to keep your work safe and separate. The first time you open a Code session, Claude Code offers to install it — say yes and let it finish.
- Quit and reopen the Claude app.
You're done when Claude Code opens and doesn't ask about Git anymore.
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Paste your master prompt
- Click New session (top-left), click Select Folder near the bottom and pick — or create — a folder called Projects, and set permissions to Manual so you see and approve each step while you're learning.
- Copy the prompt for your computer: 🪟 Windows master prompt · 🍎 Mac master prompt
- Paste it into the Claude session and send it. From here, Claude takes over.
You're done when Claude greets you and starts walking you through the setup.
Claude will walk you through these next
No more copying and pasting — just follow along on screen.
- 1Skills — Claude will install 50+ NSLS skills and all the tools they need.
- 2Connect your tools — Claude will help you connect your most powerful tools, one at a time (Slack, Google Drive, Calendar, Gmail, Fathom).
- 3Your first build — Claude will show you how to build a real, branded NSLS Google Doc — then run a second skill that edits it on the fly. This is the moment it clicks.
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4
Plan your day — Claude shows you how to open your day in the morning, close it at night, and track your progress in your own private command center.
Mark your progress. Adjust your progress during the day.
Boom — you're done. Happy building.
You're a fully set-up NSLS builder: tools connected, skills installed, your first build done, and your day-planner ready to go.
Ten skills worth trying next
The ones NSLS builders reach for most once they've found their feet. Type the command in any Code session — or just describe what you want, and Claude will pick the skill for you.
- /slackSearch team conversations and find who said what, without leaving Claude.
- /harvest-meetingTurn a recorded meeting into decisions and next steps you can act on.
- /role-coachCoaching against the role you have and the role you're growing into.
- /gwsRead and edit Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides straight from the chat.
- /open-weekSet your week's priorities on Monday — and /close-week rolls it all up on Friday.
- /hubspotLook up a member, a chapter, or a school in the NSLS CRM.
- /brainstormBrain-dump a messy problem and get it organized before you plan it.
- /person-intelligencePrep for a meeting with someone: who they are and where things stand.
- /nsls-slidesBuild an on-brand NSLS deck and send it straight to Google Drive.
- /open-dayPulls your calendar and tasks into a morning plan with focus blocks — and /close-day writes up what you actually got done.
Want the full list? Type / in any Code session to see every skill you have — there are 50+.
If you get stuck
Here's the stuff that occasionally trips people up — mostly on Windows. Find your symptom, do the fix. Still stuck after that? Tell Claude what you see — it can often solve it right there on the spot. Failing all that, message Davo on Slack.
"Git never got offered, or I said no by accident." (Step 2 · Windows)
Git only gets offered once. If you missed it or declined, install it yourself: open PowerShell (click Start, type powershell, press Enter), then paste this and press Enter: winget install --id Git.Git -e
If that doesn't work, download Git from git-scm.com/download/win and run the installer with all the default options.
Then fully quit the Claude app and reopen it. (On Windows, closing the window doesn't quit it — right-click the Claude icon in the taskbar tray near the clock and choose Exit.) You'll know it worked when Claude Code stops asking about Git.
"I restarted, but nothing changed." (Windows)
Check that you didn't just close the window — that leaves Claude running in the background, so nothing actually restarted.
Right-click the Claude icon in the taskbar tray (bottom-right, by the clock) → Exit, then open Claude again. That's a real restart.
"I clicked Authorize, but the connector still says Connect." (Anytime)
Try these in order — one of them almost always works:
1. In your web browser, sign in to the same Claude account you use in the app. Then go back to the app and click Connect again.
2. Still stuck? Connect the tool from claude.ai → Settings → Connectors in your browser instead of in the app — it often sticks that way. Then fully quit and reopen the app.
3. If that Google or Slack account is already connected to a different Claude account, that's the cause — each account can only be linked to one Claude account. Use one that isn't already taken.
4. If a restart seems to change nothing, you may not have actually restarted — see the taskbar-tray tip above.
"I connected a tool, but Claude says it's not available." (Anytime)
Newly connected tools only switch on after a restart — they don't appear in a session that's already running. A tool you just connected showing as unavailable is normal, not a failure.
Don't re-authorize in a loop. Finish connecting everything, then quit and reopen the app once, and they'll all be there.
"My chat disappeared and I'm on a Home screen." (Anytime)
After you connect a tool, Claude Desktop sometimes drops you on the Home tab and it looks like your chat is gone. It isn't — click Code (top-left) to jump right back to where you were.
"A permission prompt popped up and it looks scary." (Anytime)
That's normal — Claude asks before doing things on your machine. Read it and approve it.
One of them runs a small "skill-event" script; all it sends is your builder email and the name of the skill you ran, so your work gets credited.
"It says Python was not found." (Windows)
A common Windows gotcha. Tell Claude the exact message you saw — it knows how to fix it.
"The day-planner dashboard won't open." (after setup)
The dashboard belongs in your real web browser, not Claude's built-in preview panel (edits don't save there). If Claude opens it in the side panel, say "open it in my browser."
If it still won't load, tell Claude "the signal server failed" and it'll set it up again.
"It says I'm low on usage." (Anytime)
Installing, connecting tools, and your first build all in one sitting uses a fair amount of your daily Claude usage. If you hit a limit, it's fine to spread setup across two sessions — pick up where you left off later. Nothing is lost.
"The Google Docs skills won't sign in." (Anytime)
/gdoc-build and /gdoc-edit need you to sign in with your real @nsls.org Google Workspace account. An alias address, or a personal Gmail that happens to use an nsls.org address, will be refused.
Use your actual @nsls.org login when the Google sign-in screen appears.
"Claude points me to a VC++ runtime install." (Windows)
An expected message — this is the one thing Claude can't install for you. When Claude points you to it: open Downloads, double-click VC_redist.x64.exe, click Yes, then Install. Done.
Still stuck after two tries? Stop there — you haven't broken anything. Message Davo on Slack with a photo of your screen, and he'll walk you the rest of the way.