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Claude Blattman

Tools I use to manage my schedule, communication, and complex projects with large teams across several countries. Examples and tutorials for productivity and sanity.

By Chris Blattman, political economist at UChicago Harris. In January 2026 I started building AI workflows with Claude Code. What seemed impossible then — inbox triage, meeting capture, proposal drafting, project dashboards, trip planning — is running today. Claude Blattman isn't real, but the tools are. I've never coded in my life, so if I can do this you can.

What Is This?

This site covers AI tools for knowledge work — from chatbot prompting to advanced automation with Claude Code, a terminal-based AI tool that can read your files, search your email, manage your calendar, and run custom workflows. The site documents how I built a working system and shares everything so you can do the same. Here's how I got here.

Already a power user? Skip the tour.

Skill Library — 19 skills, one-command install · Config Templates — starter files for CLAUDE.md, email policy, voice · GitHub Repo — browse the source

Where to Start

  • New to AI Tools? No Claude Code required

    Start with the essentials: which chatbot to use, prompt engineering that works, hands-free dictation, and meeting transcription. No coding or terminal needed.

    The Essentials

  • Claude Code for Newbies

    Set up Claude Code, configure your CLAUDE.md, connect your email and calendar, and install your first skills. Step-by-step for Mac and Windows.

    Setup Guide

  • Get Skills & Templates

    Browse 19 downloadable skills with one-command install. Starter config templates for CLAUDE.md, email policy, voice files, and more. Already have Claude Code? Start here.

    Skill Library · Templates

  • Prompt, Plan, Review, Revise

    A repeatable loop: brain-dump an idea, structure it with /prompt, stress-test it with fresh agents via /review-plan, and capture what you learned with /done. Works on day one — no integrations needed.

    Learn the loop

  • Project Management with Claude Code

    A system for tracking complex projects across email, docs, meetings, and messaging. Each project gets a living dashboard with status, history, and next steps — maintained automatically from meeting transcripts and project documents.

    Project Management Workflow

  • Executive Assistant

    Email triage, morning briefings, calendar queries, and communication drafting. A set of skills that handle the daily overhead of managing a busy schedule and high-volume inbox.

    Executive Assistant Workflow

  • Teaching AI Your Voice No Claude Code required

    AI has a house style and it's not yours. Build a voice file that captures how you actually write — ban list, annotated examples, sentence-level rules — and load it into any chatbot or Claude Code project.

    Build your voice file

  • Continuous Improvement

    Email yourself tips and discoveries from any device. Two skills curate them, then propose concrete changes to your CLAUDE.md, skills, and rules — so your system gets better every week.

    The Tips Pipeline

  • Tax Season Case Study New

    A complete case study: using Claude Code to collect tax documents from email, compile deductions, and catch errors with a three-year review. What worked, what AI got wrong, and transferable patterns for any document-heavy workflow.

    Tax Workflow

  • Data Analysis Co-Pilot Coming soon

    Using AI to write, debug, and audit statistical code in Stata, R, and Python. Replication verification, robustness checks, and the "Referee 2" pattern. In the meantime, see AI for Economists resources.

  • Research Writing Coming soon

    LaTeX and Overleaf workflows: drafting sections, responding to referee reports, maintaining voice consistency across co-authored papers, and version control with Claude Code.

Stay in the loop

I add new tools and guides regularly. Get email updates — a few times a year, no spam. Or star it on GitHub so others can find it. Something broken or unclear? Send a quick note.