name: infrastructure-setup description: > Set up the working environment a practice owner needs before running any skill. A guided conversation that diagnoses what they have, builds what they need, and produces a personalized setup report. Covers file structure, backup, collaboration, and tool orientation. Triggers: "set up my infrastructure", "infrastructure setup", "get my files organized", "set up my workspace", "get ready for Claude", or any request to configure a practice owner's working environment. metadata: author: Kathryn Brown, Practice Builders version: "1.0.0" updated: "2026-04-03"

Infrastructure Setup

One conversation. Four checkpoints. A working environment built around how you actually work.

Core Principle

Diagnose before prescribing. Every practice owner has a different starting point — different devices, different cloud tools, different collaboration needs (or none). This skill asks what's true about their setup, then builds the simplest infrastructure that works. No over-engineering. No tools they won't use.

What This Skill Does

You have a conversation about how you work. The skill asks about your devices, your files, who you work with, and what tools you already have. At each checkpoint, it gives you specific setup steps — not generic advice, but "do this, then this, then confirm it worked." At the end, it produces a setup report you can reference later.

Job 1: Get backup in place. If your laptop dies tomorrow, is your work safe? Most practice owners say "I think so" when the honest answer is "I don't know." Your files on your computer are the source of truth — the real, working versions. Cloud backup (OneDrive, Google Drive, iCloud, Dropbox) silently mirrors them. You never work from the cloud version. It's insurance. This skill finds the backup path already available and gets it running. No new subscriptions. No complicated setup. Just turn on what's already there.

Job 2: Build a file structure you'll actually use. Deep folder hierarchies don't work — you forget where things are, Claude can't navigate them, and new files end up on the desktop. This skill builds a flat structure with clear zones: active work, reference material, and archive. Descriptive file names replace nested folders.

Job 3: Solve collaboration (if it applies). If you work with a team member, assistant, or partner, how do files move between you? This skill diagnoses whether the friction is the tool or the habit, then designs a handoff workflow that fits.

Job 4: Orient to the right tools. Three Claude tools exist. Each one does a different job. This skill maps your actual work to the right tool — not a generic overview, but "when you do X, use this one."

How This Skill Works

Four checkpoints, in order. Each checkpoint is a short conversation followed by action steps or a decision. The skill adapts based on what the practice owner already has — if backup is already handled, that checkpoint takes 30 seconds.

The approach: Diagnostic. The skill asks questions, listens, and prescribes based on the answers. It doesn't assume everyone needs the same setup. A solo practitioner on a MacBook with iCloud needs different infrastructure than a two-person team on Windows with M365.

The Four Checkpoints

Checkpoint 1: Backup

What it solves: Files that exist only on one device. One hardware failure, one theft, one coffee spill — and everything's gone.

The key concept: The practice owner's files on their computer are the source of truth — the real, working versions they open, edit, and send. Cloud backup (OneDrive, Google Drive, iCloud, Dropbox) silently mirrors those files. They never open the cloud version to work from it. It's insurance. If their laptop dies, they sign into the cloud service on a new machine and everything is there. No push, no pull, no sync to manage — it just runs in the background.

The conversation:

• "What device do you do most of your work on? Mac, Windows, Chromebook, iPad?"
• "Do you have any cloud storage already? OneDrive, Google Drive, iCloud, Dropbox — even if you're not actively using it?"
• "Is it syncing your work files right now, or is it just sitting there?"
• "If your laptop disappeared today, what work files would you lose?"

Decision logic:

• Has cloud storage but it's not syncing work files → Turn it on. Walk through enabling sync on the work folder. Confirm with a test file.
• Has no cloud storage but has M365/Google Workspace → Activate what's included. OneDrive comes with M365. Google Drive comes with Workspace. No new cost.
• Has no cloud storage and no subscription that includes one → Recommend the free tier of whatever matches their device (iCloud for Mac, OneDrive for Windows, Google Drive for everyone).
• Already syncing → Confirm and move on. "Great — your files are backed up. Let's keep going."

Checkpoint complete when: Practice owner confirms cloud sync is active on their work folder, verified by creating a test file and seeing it appear in the cloud.

Output: Backup status line in the setup report — what's syncing, where, confirmed working.

Checkpoint 2: File Structure

What it solves: Files scattered across Desktop, Downloads, random folders, and "New Folder (3)." Claude can't navigate chaos, and neither can the practice owner.

The conversation:

• "Where do your work files live right now? One folder? Scattered around? A mix?"
• "Do you organize by client, by project, by date, or not really at all?"
• "How many active clients do you have right now — roughly?"
• "Do you have templates, SOPs, or reference documents you reuse? Where do those live?"
• "Is there a pile of old files you're afraid to delete but never open?"

The structure (adapt based on answers):

[Work Root]/
  clients/          ← one subfolder per active client
  reference/        ← templates, SOPs, reusable documents
  inbox/            ← landing zone for new files before they're sorted
  archive/          ← completed work, old files — out of sight, not deleted

Adaptation rules:

• If they have golden examples or reference outputs → add a golden-examples/ folder
• If they'll be running deployment kits → add a kits/ folder
• If they work solo and have <5 clients → clients/ might be unnecessary; flat root with client prefixes on file names works fine
• If they already have a structure that works → don't rebuild it. Add missing zones only.

File naming convention:

• Lowercase, hyphens, no spaces: client-name - document-type.ext
• Descriptive names replace nested folders: aftd-department-report-sales.pdf not aftd/reports/departments/sales/report.pdf
• No version numbers in file names — that's what cloud storage version history is for

Checkpoint complete when: The folder structure exists, the practice owner understands the zones, and one or two real files have been placed to demonstrate the naming convention.

Output: File structure diagram in the setup report — what folders exist, what goes where, naming convention.

Checkpoint 3: Collaboration (If Applicable)

What it solves: Files that need to move between two people — and the friction that stops them from moving.

The conversation:

• "Do you work with anyone else — a team member, assistant, business partner — who needs access to your files or sends you files?"
• If yes: "How do you currently share files? Email attachments, shared folders, text messages, something else?"
• "What's not working about it? Is it the tool itself, or is it that neither of you checks it consistently?"
• "Do you both need to edit the same files, or is it more of a handoff — one person creates, the other receives?"

Decision logic:

• No collaboration needed → Skip entirely. "You're solo — no collaboration infrastructure needed. Moving on."
• Tool friction (the sharing method is clunky) → Find a shared folder solution. If both on M365: shared OneDrive folder or Teams channel. If both on Google: shared Drive folder. If mixed: pick the cloud storage both can access.
• Habit friction (the tool works, nobody uses it) → Design a trigger. "When you finish a file for [person], where does it go? What tells them it's ready?" Build a specific, simple workflow: file goes in shared folder, ping the other person.
• Both edit the same files → Shared folder with naming discipline. No simultaneous editing without a tool that supports it (Google Docs, SharePoint). If they need real-time co-editing, recommend the tool that supports it in their ecosystem.

Checkpoint complete when: Either collaboration is confirmed unnecessary, or a specific sharing workflow is defined and the shared location exists.

Output: Collaboration setup in the report — who, how, where files go, what triggers a handoff.

Checkpoint 4: Tool Orientation

What it solves: Practice owners who have Claude but don't know which version of it to use for what.

The conversation:

• "What are you already using Claude for? What kinds of tasks?"
• "When you use it, are you mostly having conversations — thinking out loud, asking questions, getting advice? Or are you giving it tasks — process this, create that, build something?"
• "Do you ever need Claude to read or write files on your computer?"
• "Do you work on things that have multiple steps — like a process that takes raw material and produces a finished deliverable?"

The decision framework (personalized to their answers):

Adaptation rules:

• If they only do conversations → don't introduce CoWork or Code yet. They'll discover the need naturally.
• If they already use Claude Chat extensively → skip the Chat explanation. Focus on when to reach for CoWork or Code.
• If they'll be running deployment kits → Code is the key intro. Show the pattern: "point Code at a kit, feed it input, it produces output."
• If they're intimidated by the terminal → normalize it: "It's a conversation, same as Chat, but with file superpowers. You type in English, not code."

Checkpoint complete when: The practice owner can answer: "I need to [task] — which tool do I use?" for their three most common work tasks.

Output: Personalized "which tool when" guide in the setup report — their actual tasks mapped to the right tool.

Rules

• Diagnose first. Never prescribe a solution before asking what they already have. The best infrastructure is often activating what's already available, not adding something new.
• One checkpoint at a time. Complete each checkpoint fully — conversation, action steps, confirmation — before moving to the next.
• Skip what's already done. If backup is working, say so and move on. If they work solo, skip collaboration entirely. Respect their time.
• Do the smallest thing that works. One synced folder beats a complex backup system. A flat file structure beats an elaborate hierarchy. A "put it in the shared folder and text me" workflow beats a project management tool.
• Confirm, don't assume. When a setup step is complete, verify it. "Create a test file and check that it shows up in OneDrive." Don't mark a checkpoint done on faith.
• Use their language. If they call it "my work stuff folder," call it that. Don't rename their mental model.
• Don't reorganize existing files. Set up the new structure and start using it going forward. Existing files migrate naturally as they touch them. A reorganization session feels overwhelming and produces zero value.
• Adapt the structure to the person. A solo consultant with 3 clients doesn't need the same infrastructure as a two-person team with 15 clients and shared files. Scale to fit.
• Runs in Claude Desktop. This skill requires file system access — it creates folders, places files, and verifies backup. It cannot run in Claude Chat (the web version). The practice owner uses Claude Desktop (the app on their computer) which works directly with their local files. Download at claude.ai/download.
• Device-agnostic. These instructions work regardless of operating system or cloud provider. Don't assume Mac, don't assume M365.

Session Flow

Start
  |
  +-- Brief intro: what we're setting up and why
  +-- Quick inventory: device, cloud storage, team members
  |
  +-- Checkpoint 1: Backup & Cloud Sync
  |     Diagnose -> activate/configure -> verify -> confirm
  |
  +-- Checkpoint 2: File Structure
  |     Diagnose current state -> build structure -> place test files -> confirm
  |
  +-- Checkpoint 3: Collaboration (skip if solo)
  |     Diagnose -> design workflow -> create shared location -> confirm
  |
  +-- Checkpoint 4: Tool Orientation
  |     Understand current usage -> map tasks to tools -> confirm understanding
  |
  +-- Wrap-up: produce setup report, summarize what's ready,
  |   flag anything that needs follow-up
  |
  Done

Output: Setup Report

At the end, the skill produces a single setup report. This is the practice owner's reference document — what was set up, where things are, how things work.

# Infrastructure Setup Report

| | |
|---|---|
| **Practice** | [Practice name] |
| **Created** | [Date] |
| **Device** | [Primary device and OS] |

---

## Backup

| | |
|---|---|
| **Service** | [OneDrive / Google Drive / iCloud / Dropbox] |
| **Synced folder** | [Path to synced work folder] |
| **Status** | [Confirmed working / Needs follow-up] |
| **Verified** | [Yes — test file confirmed / No] |

## File Structure

[Diagram of the folder structure that was created, with annotations]

**Naming convention:** [The convention agreed on]

## Collaboration

[If applicable: who, shared location, handoff workflow]
[If solo: "No collaboration infrastructure needed."]

## Tool Guide

| Task | Tool | Why |
|---|---|---|
| [Their actual task 1] | [Chat / CoWork / Code] | [One-line reason] |
| [Their actual task 2] | [Chat / CoWork / Code] | [One-line reason] |
| [Their actual task 3] | [Chat / CoWork / Code] | [One-line reason] |

## Follow-Up Items

[Anything that wasn't completed during the session — needs a second person present, requires a login credential they don't have, etc.]

---

*Built with Infrastructure Setup — Practice Builders by Kathryn Brown*

What Makes This Different

Most "set up your AI workspace" guides hand you a checklist and wish you luck. This diagnoses your starting point — what you have, what's missing, what's already working — and builds only what you need. A solo Mac user with iCloud already syncing gets a different setup than a Windows team on M365 with broken collaboration. Same skill, different output.

The setup report isn't a how-to guide you'll never read again. It's a reference document: where your files are, how things move, which tool to grab. When you forget where templates go or which Claude tool handles multi-step work, the answer is in the report.

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Kathryn Brown, Practice Builders

This skill is included with your purchase and licensed for your personal and business use. You may use it within your practice, modify the documents it produces, and share output with your team and clients.

This skill may not be redistributed, resold, or shared outside your practice without written permission from Kathryn Brown (kathryn@creatingyourplan.com).

This skill is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind, express or implied.