Think First
The #1 mistake with Claude Code: typing before thinking. You have an idea, you jump straight into the conversation, and 30 minutes later you're debugging code that shouldn't exist.
"10 out of 10 times, plan mode did significantly better than just starting to talk."
Why Think First
Claude needs clear direction. Vague input = vague output. When you say "build me an auth system," Claude has infinite room to make assumptions. It might choose JWT when you wanted sessions. It might add OAuth when you just needed password login.
Planning isn't slowdown—it's investment. Five minutes thinking saves hours of debugging the wrong implementation.
How to Think First
In Claude Code, press Shift+Tab twice to enter plan mode. This tells Claude
to analyze and plan before executing. You'll see a structured breakdown of:
- What Claude understands about your task
- What steps it plans to take
- What assumptions it's making
- What questions it has
Review this before saying "go." If the plan is wrong, clarify. It's much easier to fix a plan than to fix code.
If you lack domain experience: Use another LLM to brainstorm first. Ask ChatGPT or Claude "what should I consider when building X?" Get your thoughts organized before giving Claude Code specific instructions.
Architecture Matters
Broad requests give Claude too much wiggle room. Specific architecture constraints produce predictable results.
Vague: "Build me an auth system"
Specific: "Build session-based auth using bcrypt for password hashing. Store sessions in PostgreSQL. Use HTTP-only cookies. Include login, logout, and password reset endpoints."
The second request leaves almost no room for misinterpretation. Claude knows exactly what to build.
Key Takeaways
- Plan mode beats jumping in—every time
- 5 minutes planning saves hours debugging
- Use Shift+Tab twice to enter plan mode
- Specific constraints produce predictable results
- Think, then type. Every time.