Turn a recurring frustration into a small Claude Code skill by describing the problem in plain language. Let Claude ask a few questions, push it to remove manual steps, test the script, and package the working flow as a reusable command.
Source episode · 44:00
How I AI: Hilary Gridley’s “Anti-System” for Automating Life with Claude Codewith Claire Vo
Hilary starts with her habit of missing return deadlines, asks Claude to design a less manual solution, and ends with a reusable returns command that reads order emails and finds the right return path.
A reusable Claude Code command with a plain-language skill file and the script needed to perform the task.
Anthropic AI assistant
Step by step
Follow the sequence once, then adapt the prompts, checks, and handoffs to your own setup.
4 steps
Open Claude Code and describe one recurring frustration in the language you would use with a friend. Explain what makes the current process annoying and ask Claude to suggest a better system.
Hey Claude, I keep forgetting to return things on time. Also, I hate doing returns. I want you to come up with a way to make this easier for me. What do you suggest?
Answer a few questions about the shape of the problem, then challenge any solution that still leaves you doing the tedious work. Ask what access or information would let Claude handle more of it.
I like the direction, but I do not want to tell you what I ordered every time. Can you find recent purchases from my connected email, identify likely return deadlines, and tell me where each return needs to go? Ask up to three questions, then use your judgment to propose a testable first version.
Have Claude build a standalone script first. Once a few test runs work, ask it to package the instructions and script as a reusable returns command.
Build this as a testable script before connecting it to any other routine. It should search recent order emails, extract the retailer, item, order number, purchase date, stated return window, and return destination, then show the evidence behind each result. After the test passes, package it as a /returns skill.
Run the new command against several recent purchases. Correct bad matches or missing retailer rules, then rerun until the output gives you a reliable next action for each item.
Turn an idea into a PRD, user stories, and a plan.
After the steps
How to recover when the loop fails and where human judgment helps.
Recover
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