Six months ago, terminal was the app I avoided most on my Mac. Today, it's my most-used application.
The transformation started with a podcast episode. Lenny Rachitsky was interviewing Dan Shipper from Every. The question was simple: "What's the most underrated AI tool for business people?"
Dan's answer: Claude Code.
I'm Not a Software Engineer
I want to be clear about something: I'm not a software engineer. I'm not technical. The only reason I ever opened terminal was to restart my frozen MacBook touch bar—and I always had to Google the commands because I could never remember them.
But something about that recommendation stuck with me. One evening, I decided: enough reading about AI. Time to actually build something.
My First Project
My first project? That touch bar problem. With Claude Code, I created a small application that restarts it with one click. Then I deployed it. Built a landing page. Set up a Gumroad shop.
People have actually bought it.
That might sound trivial—a tiny utility app. But for someone who had never written a line of production code, it was a revelation. I went from having an idea to having a product that strangers pay money for, all through conversation with an AI in my terminal.
Then I Kept Going
I used Claude Code to organise a year's worth of health insurance invoices. To prepare my tax documents. To calculate retirement plan instalments. It became my IT admin, my analyst, my problem-solver.
The shift wasn't just practical—it was psychological. Terminal went from being that scary black rectangle to being a place where I could get things done.
Bringing This to Munich
When I saw Thariq Shihipar's post about Claude Code community events, I applied immediately. Munich needed one.
The theme we chose: "Claude Code for the rest of us."
Because here's what I've learned: Claude Code isn't just for developers. It's for product managers who want to prototype. Solopreneurs who need to automate. Non-technical founders who are tired of being blocked by things that feel like they should be simple. Anyone willing to type a question into a terminal and see what happens.
The barrier to entry isn't coding skill. It's willingness to try.
Join Us
If you're in Munich on January 26th, join us from 18:00-21:00. We'll share stories, try things together, and show that the terminal isn't as scary as it looks.
I'm grateful to Lenny Rachitsky for the podcast that started this, to Dan Shipper and Every for the recommendation, to Anthropic and Thariq Shihipar for building this community, and to my co-organisers Martine Nilsen, Steffi Kieffer, Jens Rusitschka, and Jens Franke from our AI Vibe Coding Tribe WhatsApp group.
Six months ago, I avoided terminal.
Now I'm hosting a meetup about it.
That's the power of the right tool at the right time.
See you there.