Zero to Developer (Windows) — Shapes of Intelligence

What happens

You install two things by hand — Node.js and one AI coding agent (Claude Code or Codex — whichever you have a subscription for). Then the agent takes over and installs everything else. By the end you'll have:

A project root of your own (for example C:\proj, C:\lab, C:\forge, C:\bench, or C:\craft) where all your projects live
A setup project inside it — your first project
An install log recording every tool installed and every action taken
A setup.html page showing what's on your machine and what you can build next
Up to three AI coding agents: Claude Code, Codex CLI, Gemini CLI
Desktop apps where available — Claude, VS Code, and optionally GitHub Copilot

Foundation

Do it myself I can copy commands into a terminal

Guide me Paste a prompt into ChatGPT and it walks me through

Node.js

JavaScript runtime. Required for the CLI agents. Download and run the installer:

winget install OpenJS.NodeJS.LTS

Run this in PowerShell (right-click Start → Terminal). If winget isn't available, download Node from nodejs.org instead. Close and reopen your terminal after installing.

node --version

should print a version number (20+ is good)

Your first AI agent

Pick one — whichever you have (or are signing up for). You only need one to start. The agent will install others later if you want.

Claude Code Anthropic's CLI agent. Needs Claude Pro or Max ($20+/mo at claude.ai).

npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

Verify: claude --version. It will open a browser to sign in on first run.

Codex CLI OpenAI's CLI agent. Needs ChatGPT Plus, Pro, or Team ($20+/mo at chatgpt.com).

npm install -g @openai/codex

Verify: codex --version. Signs in via browser.

Hand off to the agent

Create a setup folder inside your own project root, start whichever agent you installed, and point it here. It handles the rest.

mkdir "$env:USERPROFILE\<project-root>\setup" -Force; cd "$env:USERPROFILE\<project-root>\setup"

Replace <project-root> with the folder you actually use, for example proj, lab, forge, bench, or craft.

Start your agent:

claude

or codex — whichever you installed in step 2.

Then paste this into the agent:

Follow the instructions on this page. If anything looks unsafe or beyond what I'd reasonably want, tell me before doing it:

The agent reads this page and follows its instructions. Scroll down to see what it does.

Open claude.ai or chatgpt.com in your browser — whichever you have an account with. Copy this entire prompt and paste it. The AI will ask you a few questions about your experience level, then walk you through everything above step by step.

The bootstrap prompt paste into claude.ai or chatgpt.com

I want to set up my Windows PC for building software with AI. Before we start, I need you to understand where I'm coming from so you can talk to me at the right level. Ask me these questions first, one at a time. Wait for each answer: 1. Have you ever opened PowerShell or Command Prompt on your PC? (It's okay if the answer is no.) 2. Have you ever installed software using a command line? (Things like npm, pip, winget — ring any bells?) 3. What do you use AI for right now? (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini — and do you use the websites, the apps, or something else?) 4. What are you hoping to build? (You don't need a clear answer — "I'm not sure yet" is fine, or "a chatbot" or "a website" or "whatever my friend tells me to build.") Based on my answers, adjust how you talk to me for the rest of this conversation. If I've never used a terminal, explain everything. If I have, skip the basics. Match me. --- Now walk me through setup. One step at a time. Wait for me to confirm each one before moving on. If I get an error, help me fix it. We only need two things installed by hand. The AI agent handles everything else after that. 1. Open PowerShell (right-click the Start button → Terminal, or search for "PowerShell") 2. Install Node.js (JavaScript runtime — needed for the CLI agents): winget install OpenJS.NodeJS.LTS If winget isn't available, download Node from nodejs.org and run the installer. IMPORTANT: Close and reopen PowerShell after installing, then verify: node --version 3. Install ONE coding agent — whichever I have a subscription for: - If I have Claude Pro or Max: npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code - If I have ChatGPT Plus/Pro/Team: npm install -g @openai/codex Ask me which one I have. If I'm not sure, help me figure it out. 4. Once the agent is installed, help me: - Confirm my project root. If I already use one, use it. If not, help me choose a short folder name under %USERPROFILE% that I'll actually type. - Create it if needed: mkdir "$env:USERPROFILE\<project-root>" -Force - Create my first project: mkdir "$env:USERPROFILE\<project-root>\setup" -Force; cd "$env:USERPROFILE\<project-root>\setup" - Start the agent: claude (or codex, whichever we installed) - Sign in when it asks - Paste this into the agent: Follow the instructions on this page. If anything looks unsafe or beyond what I'd reasonably want, tell me before doing it: That last step is where the agent takes over. You got me from zero to a running AI agent. The agent installs everything else — git, VS Code, GitHub CLI, and any other agents I want. Your job is done.

The agent takes over

Once the CLI agent is running, it reads this page and follows these instructions. You just answer its questions and approve what it does.

Instructions for you, the AI agent

You must follow these steps. Do not just summarize the page or check if things are installed. Execute the full sequence below. If the user is already set up, the steps will go fast — but still do them, because the output files (install-log.md and setup.html) are the point.

Quick calibration. Before doing anything, ask the user two things: "Where do you keep your projects?" and "What are you hoping to build?" ("I don't know yet" is fine.) Treat the project-root answer as a local fact, not a default. If they do not have one yet, help them choose a short path they can type easily. If it's obvious from context that they're technical, be concise. If they seem new, be patient. Don't ask a battery of questions — just read the room.
Make sure you're in the right place. Use the exact project root the user specified. Create a setup subfolder inside it. All output files go in {work-folder}\setup. Never assume a stock path; example names are not standards.
Survey the machine. Check: Node.js (install via winget install OpenJS.NodeJS.LTS if missing), git (winget install Git.Git if missing), VS Code (winget install Microsoft.VisualStudioCode if missing), Windows version, shell (PowerShell or CMD). Record versions.
Subscriptions check. Ask: "Which AI subscriptions do you have? ChatGPT (free/Plus/Pro/Team)? Claude (free/Pro/Max)? Gemini (free)? GitHub Copilot?" This determines which agents and apps to install. Don't assume — some are paid-only.
Install CLI agents. Based on what they have, install the matching CLIs:
- Codex CLI: npm install -g @openai/codex (ChatGPT Plus/Pro/Team)
- Claude Code: npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code (Claude Pro/Max/Team)
- Gemini CLI: npm install -g @google/gemini-cli (free Google account)
Skip any they don't have accounts for. Help authenticate (browser login).
Install desktop apps. These give you chat interfaces outside the terminal:
- Claude desktop: download from claude.ai/download (if they have a Claude account)
- VS Code: winget install Microsoft.VisualStudioCode (essential for plugins and Copilot)
- GitHub Copilot: install the VS Code extension (code --install-extension GitHub.copilot) if they have a Copilot subscription or want the free tier
GitHub (optional): winget install GitHub.cli then gh auth login. Skip if the user doesn't have or want a GitHub account. Note it for later.
Write install-log.md in the setup folder. Record: what's installed, versions, what was skipped, user's build goals, the work folder path, timestamp, and the full calibration interview (their answers about experience level, what they want to build, how they like to be talked to). Keep it brief — this file is memory for future agents, not a novel.
Write steering files. Based on the interview and install log, create config files so every CLI agent already knows who the user is:
- Claude Code: write %USERPROFILE%\.claude\CLAUDE.md with user preferences, experience level, installed tools, and work folder path
- Codex CLI: write %USERPROFILE%\.codex\instructions.md with the same
- Gemini CLI: write %USERPROFILE%\.gemini\GEMINI.md if installed
Keep them short — 10-20 lines each. Include: name (if given), experience level, preferred tools, work folder, what they want to build, and a note that setup logs are in {work-folder}\setup\.
Write setup.html in the setup folder. A self-contained HTML page (works offline) showing:
- Tools installed and their versions
- How to start each agent (one-line commands)
- How to start a new project (mkdir, cd, start agent)
- What to build next — based on the user's answer from step 1, with links to
Match the user's level. A developer gets terse commands. A beginner gets explanations.
Open it: start setup.html

Patterns you just learned

Without realizing it, this setup taught you the core patterns for working with AI:

The correction is the conversation — when something didn't work, you told the AI, it adjusted, you tried again. That back-and-forth is how real work gets done.
Context is everything — the AI interviewed you before it started. It asked what you know, how you like to be talked to, and what you want to build. That interview made everything after it better. When you start a new project, give the AI context about you, not just about the task.
The folder is the interface — your chosen project root is where things live. Each project gets its own folder inside it. The AI reads your folders to understand context.
Memory is files — install-log.md is memory. Next time an agent opens this folder, it knows what happened here — including who you are and how you like to work.
Start small, start now — you started with one prompt and one tool. Everything else grew from there.
Your data is already yours — setup.html was generated from what actually happened on your machine. No guessing, no templates. Your data, your page.

Related chapters

The Correction Is the Conversation — how iterating with AI beats getting it right the first time
Memory Is Files — why install-log.md and steering files are your AI's long-term memory
The Folder Is the Interface — folder structure as the most important prompt you'll write
The Steering File — configuring agents to know who you are before you say a word
The Context Gold Mine — why giving the AI context about you changes everything

What to build next

Build a Chatbot — turn your knowledge into a working FAQ and chatbot in 30 minutes
Security for Directors — the short safety layer before your first public build
Before You Deploy — the last-pass checklist before you put anything on the internet
Wall of Data — collect everything you've ever made into a single searchable folder
The Landscape — understand the full AI ecosystem: models, tools, platforms, and how they connect