What you will do
- Set up the four accounts you need (GitHub, Vercel, Supabase, Anthropic)
- Get the project folder onto your computer
- Install Claude Code (this is the magic part)
- Run the app on your computer to test it works
- Deploy the app to your Vercel under your name
- Flip on real scoring (when you have your Anthropic API key)
- Use your Claude as your ongoing build partner
- Know when to come back to Natalee
1. The four accounts you need to set up
Set these up first. Most are free. Total time: about 30 minutes.
Account 01
GitHub
GitHub is where the code lives. Think of it as a filing cabinet on the internet for software projects. You need it because Vercel reads from GitHub to put your app online.
- Go to github.com/signup
- Sign up with your email. Free.
- Choose a username you would not be embarrassed by professionally (it will be visible). Suggestion:
christianhansen or cmhansen.
- Verify your email. Skip the free vs. paid question for now — free is fine forever.
Account 02
Vercel
Vercel is where your app lives on the internet. When someone goes to a URL like influencescorecard.com, Vercel is the server that shows them the page. Free for personal projects.
- Go to vercel.com/signup
- Click "Continue with GitHub" so Vercel and GitHub connect to each other.
- Choose the free hobby tier. You can upgrade later when you have lots of users.
Account 03
Supabase
Supabase is a filing cabinet on the internet that holds your users' accounts and their reports. Without it, every user's data is trapped on whichever browser they signed up from. With it, they can log in from anywhere and their data follows them. Free for up to 50,000 users.
- Go to supabase.com
- Sign up with GitHub (so all your accounts speak to each other).
- Click "New Project." Name it
influence-scorecard.
- Choose a region close to you (US East or US West).
- Choose the free tier. Set a database password (write it down somewhere safe).
- Wait about 2 minutes for the project to build.
- When it is ready, click Settings (left sidebar) → API. You will see a Project URL and an anon/public API key. You will need both later. Copy them somewhere safe.
Famous companies that use Supabase: Mozilla (Firefox), GitHub, PwC, 1Password, Cal.com. It is built on PostgreSQL, the same database that runs Apple, Instagram, Reddit, Spotify, and Netflix. You are not betting on a new tool — you are using a 30-year-old proven database with a modern wrapper.
Account 04
Anthropic API (the brain that scores conversations)
This is the AI that actually reads transcripts and produces the scores. Right now your app uses a fake sample (it tells users that openly with a "Demo Mode" banner). To make scoring real, you need an API key.
- Go to console.anthropic.com
- Sign up. Different from your Claude Pro account — this is the developer side.
- Add a payment method and load $20 of credit to start. (Each scored report costs about 5 cents.)
- Go to API Keys → Create Key. Name it
influence-scorecard-prod. Copy the key immediately — you cannot see it again after you close the page.
- Save the key somewhere safe (1Password, a secure note, anywhere except a public document).
Important: never paste this API key into a chat with anyone, never put it in an email, never include it in a screenshot. If you accidentally expose it, log into the console immediately and delete it — you can always create a new one.
2. Get the project folder onto your computer
Two options. Pick whichever feels simpler.
| Option | How it works | Best when |
|---|
| A. Zip file |
Natalee zips the folder, sends you a download link, you unzip it on your computer. |
You want a one-and-done copy. Simplest. |
| B. GitHub repo |
Natalee creates a GitHub repo with the code. You "fork" it (make your own copy) and download it from there. |
You want changes you make to feel official, and you want the version history saved. Recommended for the long term. |
Both options end the same way: a folder called guac-and-roll sits on your computer (probably your Desktop). Inside it, you will see folders like app/, files like README.md, and several others. You do not need to understand any of it directly. Your Claude does.
3. Install Claude Code
Claude Code is the magic part. It is the version of Claude that can read and edit files on your computer, run commands, and help you change your software. This is how you turn a folder of code into a working business without ever writing a line of code yourself.
Setup
Get Claude Code on your Mac
- Go to claude.com/claude-code
- Download the Mac app (or for Windows / Linux if you are on those).
- Sign in with your existing Claude Pro account.
- Open the app. It will ask which folder you want to work in. Choose the
guac-and-roll folder you got in step 2.
- That is it. You now have a Claude that can read and edit every file in that folder.
How to think about Claude Code: it is your personal software developer. You tell it what you want in plain English. It does the work. You review. You ship. It is exactly how Natalee built this app for you. Now you have the same power.
4. Run the app on your computer (test it works)
First Test
Tell your Claude to run it locally
Open Claude Code in the project folder. Paste this exact prompt:
Copy and paste this into Claude Code
I just took over this project from Natalee. Can you check that everything is set up correctly, install any dependencies that are missing, and start the app so I can see it on my computer? Walk me through what you are doing in plain English so I learn as we go.
Claude will run a few commands. After about a minute it will say something like "the app is running at http://localhost:3000." Open that link in your browser. You should see the same Influence Scorecard you saw on the live demo.
This is your local copy. Anything you change here, only you can see — until you deploy.
5. Deploy it to Vercel under your name
Make It Public
Tell your Claude to deploy it
This puts your app at a public URL anyone can visit. You can use the free Vercel subdomain (like influence-scorecard.vercel.app) or buy a custom domain like influencescorecard.com later. For now, free is fine.
Copy and paste this into Claude Code
I want to deploy this app to my own Vercel account under the project name "influence-scorecard." I am logged into Vercel via GitHub. Can you walk me through deploying it? When it is live, give me the URL.
Claude will guide you through one or two prompts. Within 5 minutes you will have a live public URL.
6. Connect Supabase (so users persist across devices)
Cross-Device
Wire your Supabase project into the app
Right now the app uses browser-local accounts (anyone who signs up can only see their data on the same browser). This step makes accounts real and cross-device.
Copy and paste this into Claude Code
I have a Supabase project ready. The Project URL is [paste your URL here] and the anon key is [paste your anon key here]. Can you migrate the app from browser-local auth to real Supabase auth? Set up the database tables for users and reports, wire up signup and login, and make sure existing browser-local users are gracefully handled. Then redeploy to Vercel with the Supabase environment variables. Walk me through each step in plain English.
This is a 20-minute build for Claude. You may need to copy a few values from one place to another — Claude will tell you what to do at each step.
7. Flip on real scoring
Real AI
Switch from mock scoring to real Claude scoring
Right now the app shows a "Demo Mode" banner because every report is a fake sample. With your Anthropic API key, you can flip on real scoring.
Copy and paste this into Claude Code
I have my Anthropic API key. Switch the app from mock scoring to real Claude scoring. Use the prompt at lib/scoring-prompt.ts. Add the API key to my Vercel environment variables securely — do not commit it to GitHub. Remove the "Demo Mode" banner. Then test it with a real transcript so we know it works before we tell anyone.
Claude will ask you for the API key once. Paste it. Claude will set it up server-side so users never see it. Test the live app afterwards.
8. Use your Claude as your build partner
Anything you want to change in this app, you tell your Claude. Below are the most common requests, written as ready-to-paste prompts.
Change the wording on the homepage
Prompt
On the homepage, change the headline from "[current headline]" to "[new headline]." Keep everything else the same. Show me the change in the browser before deploying.
Tweak the scoring framework
Prompt
In lib/scoring-prompt.ts, find the section about [category name]. I want to change the description to [new description]. Update it carefully — this is what tells the AI how to score. Then test by scoring a transcript and showing me the result.
Add a new feature
Prompt
I want to add [feature]. Before you build anything, ask me 5 questions to make sure you understand exactly what I want. Then write a short plain-English plan and let me approve it before you start coding.
Fix something that broke
Prompt
Something is broken. When I do [exact thing you did], I see [exact thing that happened]. I expected [what should have happened]. Can you investigate the cause first before fixing? Walk me through what you find.
Deploy your changes
Prompt
I am happy with the local version. Deploy this to Vercel and confirm the live URL is updated.
Universal rule: every time you ask Claude to make a change, also ask it to tell you what step it is on in plain English. If you ever feel lost, say "stop and explain what is happening." Claude will pause and walk you through it.
9. When to come back to Natalee
Your Claude can handle 95% of what comes next. For the other 5%, here are the moments worth a call:
- You want to add a feature that involves multiple new systems (payments, automated emails to clients, integration with Fathom or Zoom)
- Something is broken and Claude has been trying to fix it for over 30 minutes without success
- You hit a strategic decision point ("should I charge for this," "should I add admin reporting," "should I open this up to the public")
- You want a marketing surface (sales page, lead magnet, email sequence) built around the app
- You are about to do something that costs real money (custom domain, scaling Supabase, paying for a third-party tool) and you want a sanity check
10. The two big things to remember
- You do not have to learn to code. You learn to ask. Your Claude does the writing.
- Every change you make is reversible. If something breaks, your Claude can roll it back. You will not destroy your business by trying things.
One more thing: the prompt that started all of this
For your records. This is the verbatim scoring prompt you wrote, the one currently powering The Influence Scorecard. It lives in your project folder at app/lib/scoring-prompt.ts. If you ever want to tighten the framework, this is the file you change. Ask your Claude to walk you through it before you edit.
