how-to-talk-to-claude/INTERMEDIATE-GUIDE-PLAN.md

# Intermediate Guide Development Plan
*Advanced AI Collaboration - Beyond the Basics*

## Target Audience & Assumptions

**Intermediate Guide Users:**
- Comfortable with basic AI conversations (completed beginners guide)
- Ready for substantial, multi-session projects
- Want professional-level collaboration skills
- Interested in sophisticated AI partnership patterns
- Need to integrate AI into serious workflows

**Complexity Shift:**
- **From:** "How do I ask Claude to help me?"
- **To:** "How do we work together over time on complex, important things?"

## Complete Content Structure (27 Pieces)

### 🎓 Tutorials (5 Advanced Learning Experiences)

#### 1. Multi-Session Project Management
**File:** `/intermediate/tutorials/multi-session-projects.mdx`
**Description:** Building something substantial over multiple conversations while maintaining context and momentum
**Content Areas:**
- Context preservation strategies across sessions
- Project state documentation techniques
- Session handoff protocols
- Momentum maintenance methods
- Long-term collaboration patterns

#### 2. Teaching Claude Your Domain
**File:** `/intermediate/tutorials/teaching-your-domain.mdx`
**Description:** Getting Claude up to speed on your specific field/expertise for ongoing collaboration
**Content Areas:**
- Domain knowledge transfer techniques
- Building shared vocabulary and context
- Creating reusable knowledge bases
- Expertise transfer protocols
- Field-specific collaboration patterns

#### 3. Collaborative Analysis & Research
**File:** `/intermediate/tutorials/collaborative-research.mdx`
**Description:** Working together on complex problems that require multiple approaches and iterations
**Content Areas:**
- Multi-angle problem analysis
- Iterative research methodologies
- Evidence synthesis and validation
- Collaborative hypothesis testing
- Research partnership patterns

#### 4. Creative Co-Creation Workshop
**File:** `/intermediate/tutorials/creative-co-creation.mdx`
**Description:** Moving from "help me write" to genuine creative partnership on original work
**Content Areas:**
- Co-creation methodologies
- Balancing human creativity with AI capabilities
- Iterative creative development
- Original work partnership patterns
- Creative collaboration frameworks

#### 5. Learning Partnership Tutorial
**File:** `/intermediate/tutorials/learning-partnership.mdx`
**Description:** Using Claude as a learning partner to master new skills or subjects
**Content Areas:**
- Learning partnership methodologies
- Skill development frameworks
- Knowledge retention strategies
- Progressive complexity management
- Educational collaboration patterns

### 🔧 How-To Guides (16 Task-Specific Solutions)

#### Project & Workflow Integration (4 guides)

**1. How to Maintain Context Across Long-Term Projects**
**File:** `/intermediate/how-to/maintain-context.mdx`
- Context preservation strategies
- Session handoff protocols
- Project state documentation
- Context reconstruction methods

**2. How to Hand Off Work Between Sessions**
**File:** `/intermediate/how-to/handoff-work-sessions.mdx`
- Session continuity techniques
- Progress documentation patterns
- Momentum preservation methods
- Workflow consistency approaches

**3. How to Integrate Claude into Existing Workflows**
**File:** `/intermediate/how-to/integrate-workflows-tools.mdx`
- Workflow integration patterns
- Tool compatibility strategies
- Process optimization techniques
- Change management for AI adoption

**4. How to Collaborate on Iterative Design and Development**
**File:** `/intermediate/how-to/iterative-design-development.mdx`
- Iterative collaboration frameworks
- Feedback loop optimization
- Version management strategies
- Progressive refinement techniques

#### Advanced Communication (4 guides)

**5. How to Teach Claude Your Company's Style Guide**
**File:** `/intermediate/how-to/company-style-guides.mdx`
- Style guide documentation techniques
- Standard enforcement strategies
- Consistency maintenance approaches
- Organization-specific adaptation

**6. How to Have Meta-Conversations About Improving Collaboration**
**File:** `/intermediate/how-to/meta-conversations.mdx`
- Meta-conversation frameworks
- Collaboration assessment techniques
- Improvement identification methods
- Relationship optimization strategies

**7. How to Debug Advanced Conversations Gone Wrong**
**File:** `/intermediate/how-to/debug-advanced-conversations.mdx`
- Advanced troubleshooting methods
- Conversation recovery strategies
- Problem identification frameworks
- Correction and realignment approaches

**8. How to Balance Human Intuition with AI Analysis**
**File:** `/intermediate/how-to/balance-human-ai-judgment.mdx`
- Human-AI decision frameworks
- Intuition vs analysis assessment
- Complementary strength utilization
- Balanced judgment development

#### Specialized Applications (5 guides)

**9. How to Use Claude for Complex Problem Decomposition**
**File:** `/intermediate/how-to/complex-problem-decomposition.mdx`
- Complex problem analysis
- Decomposition strategies
- Systematic approach development
- Collaborative problem-solving frameworks

**10. How to Collaborate on Technical Documentation**
**File:** `/intermediate/how-to/technical-documentation.mdx`
- Technical documentation strategies
- Accuracy verification methods
- Collaborative writing workflows
- Documentation quality assurance

**11. How to Do Advanced Fact-Checking and Source Validation**
**File:** `/intermediate/how-to/advanced-fact-checking.mdx`
- Advanced verification methodologies
- Source reliability assessment
- Cross-reference techniques
- Information validation frameworks

**12. How to Use Claude for Strategic Thinking and Decision Support**
**File:** `/intermediate/how-to/strategic-thinking-support.mdx`
- Strategic analysis methodologies
- Decision support systems
- Planning collaboration techniques
- Strategic thinking partnerships

**13. How to Facilitate Group Discussions and Workshops**
**File:** `/intermediate/how-to/facilitate-group-discussions.mdx`
- Group facilitation techniques
- Workshop design methodologies
- Team collaboration enhancement
- Collective decision-making support

#### Domain-Specific Collaboration (4 guides)

**14. How to Collaborate on Research and Academic Work**
**File:** `/intermediate/how-to/research-academic-work.mdx`
- Academic research methodologies
- Scholarly collaboration techniques
- Research documentation standards
- Academic writing partnerships

**15. How to Use Claude for Business Strategy and Planning**
**File:** `/intermediate/how-to/business-strategy-planning.mdx`
- Business strategy development
- Strategic planning frameworks
- Market analysis collaboration
- Business decision support

**16. How to Work Together on Complex Creative Projects**
**File:** `/intermediate/how-to/complex-creative-projects.mdx`
- Complex creative methodologies
- Artistic collaboration frameworks
- Creative project management
- Sustained creative partnerships

**17. How to Leverage Claude for Learning and Skill Development**
**File:** `/intermediate/how-to/learning-skill-development.mdx`
- Advanced learning methodologies
- Skill development strategies
- Knowledge acquisition techniques
- Learning partnership optimization

### 🧠 Explanations (6 Deep Concepts)

#### 1. The Psychology of Extended AI Partnership
**File:** `/intermediate/explanations/extended-partnership.mdx`
- Evolution of AI collaboration relationships
- Trust and dependency patterns
- Long-term collaboration psychology
- Maintaining healthy AI partnerships

#### 2. Context Architecture for Complex Collaboration
**File:** `/intermediate/explanations/context-architecture.mdx`
- Information architecture principles
- Context organization strategies
- Complex project structuring
- Long-term information management

#### 3. Cognitive Load Balancing in AI Collaboration
**File:** `/intermediate/explanations/cognitive-load-balancing.mdx`
- Cognitive load theory in AI collaboration
- Optimal task distribution strategies
- Human vs AI cognitive strengths
- Balanced partnership frameworks

#### 4. The Spectrum of AI Collaboration Styles
**File:** `/intermediate/explanations/collaboration-spectrum.mdx`
- Collaboration style taxonomy
- Mode selection strategies
- Relationship evolution patterns
- Partnership optimization techniques

#### 5. Failure Modes in Advanced Collaboration
**File:** `/intermediate/explanations/failure-modes.mdx`
- Common advanced collaboration failures
- High-stakes error patterns
- Prevention strategies
- Recovery methodologies

#### 6. Building AI-Augmented Workflows
**File:** `/intermediate/explanations/ai-augmented-workflows.mdx`
- Workflow design principles
- Human-AI integration strategies
- Process optimization techniques
- Augmented productivity systems

### ⚡ Advanced Reference (1 Comprehensive Guide)

**Power-User Techniques and Templates**
**File:** `/intermediate/reference/index.mdx`
**Content Areas:**
- Advanced prompting patterns and conversation architectures
- Template library for complex project types
- Troubleshooting guide for sophisticated collaboration failures
- Integration patterns for different tools and workflows
- Meta-prompts for analyzing and improving collaboration patterns

## Development Priorities

### Phase 1: Foundation (Start Here)
1. **Multi-Session Project Management Tutorial** - Core advanced skill
2. **How to Maintain Context** - Essential supporting skill
3. **Extended Partnership Psychology** - Conceptual foundation

### Phase 2: Collaboration Sophistication
1. **Teaching Your Domain Tutorial** - Domain expertise transfer
2. **Meta-Conversations How-To** - Self-improvement loops
3. **Context Architecture Explanation** - Advanced understanding

### Phase 3: Specialized Applications
1. **Complex Problem Decomposition How-To** - High-value skill
2. **Strategic Thinking Support How-To** - Business application
3. **Collaboration Spectrum Explanation** - Advanced framework

### Phase 4: Professional Integration
1. **Advanced Reference Guide** - Comprehensive resource
2. **AI-Augmented Workflows Explanation** - Systematic approach
3. **Failure Modes Explanation** - Risk management

## Content Development Guidelines

### Tone & Voice (Maintain Consistency)
- More sophisticated than beginners but still conversational
- Assume familiarity with basic AI collaboration
- Focus on nuance, optimization, and advanced techniques
- Include real-world, complex examples
- Address professional/business contexts more frequently

### Component Usage Patterns
- Use `Steps` for complex processes with multiple phases
- Use `Tabs` for comparing different approaches or methods
- Use `CardGrid` for organizing sophisticated concepts
- Use `Asides` for advanced tips and warnings about edge cases
- Use `Code` blocks for complex conversation examples and templates

### Example Complexity Level
- Multi-paragraph conversation examples
- Real project scenarios (redacted for privacy)
- Industry-specific applications
- Long-term relationship development examples
- Failure and recovery scenarios

This intermediate guide will serve users who've mastered basic AI collaboration and are ready to build sophisticated, professional-level partnerships with AI for complex, important work.