Build the folder structure and first 20 notes

Lesson outcome

You will have a vault with a clear folder structure and 20 real business notes that Claude Code can use for context in future conversations.

Why this matters in an agency

An empty vault is useless. A vault with 20 real notes about your business is the beginning of a knowledge system that compounds. Every note you write becomes context that Claude Code can reference. When you ask Claude Code to draft a proposal, it can pull your service descriptions. When you ask it to plan a campaign, it can reference your buyer persona. When you ask it to create an SOP, it can build on your existing processes. The vault is only as useful as the information inside it.

Inputs, tools, and prerequisites

Claude Code running on the VPS (or locally) in the vault directory. Knowledge of your own business — services, clients, processes, and goals. This lesson cannot be completed with generic information. You need to tell Claude Code about your actual agency.

Step-by-step walkthrough

Create the folder structure

Ask Claude Code to create a practical folder structure:

```
Create a folder structure in this vault for a marketing agency. I need top-level folders for:

• Business (offers, pricing, personas, positioning)
• Clients (one subfolder per client later)
• Operations (SOPs, checklists, processes)
• Projects (active project notes)
• Research (market research, competitor analysis, ideas)
• Templates (reusable templates for proposals, reports, etc.)
• Journal (daily/weekly notes)

Create the folders now. Do not create any notes yet.
```

Claude Code creates the folders. Verify them in the vault directory.

Create the first 20 notes

Now the important part: filling the vault with real content. You need to tell Claude Code about your business so it can create notes with actual information, not placeholders.

Start with the core business notes. Give Claude Code real context:

```
I run a marketing agency called [your agency name]. We specialize in [your services] for [your target market]. Our main services are:

1. [Service 1 — description and pricing]
2. [Service 2 — description and pricing]
3. [Service 3 — description and pricing]

Our typical client is [describe your ideal client]. We currently have [number] clients.

Create the following notes in the Business folder with real content based on what I just told you:

1. "Agency Overview" — company name, what we do, who we serve
2. "Service Stack" — all services with descriptions and pricing
3. "Buyer Persona" — detailed profile of our ideal client
4. "Positioning Statement" — how we position against competitors
5. "Pricing Logic" — why we charge what we charge, what drives pricing decisions
   ```

Claude Code will create five notes with content based on your description. Review each one. Edit anything that is wrong or incomplete. The notes do not need to be perfect — they need to be accurate enough that Claude Code can reference them for context.

Continue with operational notes:

```
Create the following notes in the Operations folder:

6. "Client Onboarding SOP" — steps we follow when a new client signs up. We [describe your onboarding process].
7. "Reporting SOP" — how we create and deliver client reports. We [describe your reporting process].
8. "Content Production SOP" — how we create content for clients. We [describe your content workflow].
9. "QA Checklist" — what we check before delivering work to a client
10. "Weekly Scorecard" — metrics we track weekly: [list your key metrics]
    ```

Again, give Claude Code real information about your processes. The more specific you are, the more useful the notes become.

Continue with client and project notes:

```
Create the following notes:

11. In Clients folder: "Active Client Index" — list of current clients with their service package and start date
12. In Clients folder: one client note for [your biggest or most recent client] with company name, contact info, services they buy, and current status
13. In Projects folder: "Current Priorities" — the top 3-5 things you are focused on this month
14. In Research folder: "Competitor Analysis" — who your main competitors are and how you differ
15. In Research folder: "Market Opportunities" — growth areas you are exploring
    ```

Finish with system and reference notes:

```
Create the following notes:

16. In Operations folder: "Tool Inventory" — every tool the agency uses (CRM, project management, analytics, etc.) with what each one does
17. In Operations folder: "Sales Workflow" — how you go from lead to closed client
18. In Templates folder: "Proposal Template" — skeleton of a client proposal with sections for background, scope, deliverables, timeline, and pricing
19. In Journal folder: "[today's date] - Vault Setup" — a journal entry noting that you set up the vault today and listing what you plan to add next
20. In the root folder: "Lessons Log" — an empty note where you will record lessons learned from using the operator stack
    ```

Review and refine

After all 20 notes are created, ask Claude Code:

```
List every note in the vault, organized by folder. For each note, show the first line of content.
```

Review the list. Are any notes in the wrong folder? Is any content inaccurate? Fix problems now. The vault does not need to be perfect, but it needs to be accurate.

Test retrieval

Ask Claude Code questions that require finding the right note:

```
What are our current services and how much do they cost?
```

Claude Code should find the Service Stack note and answer from it.

```
What is our onboarding process for new clients?
```

Claude Code should find the Client Onboarding SOP.

```
Who is our ideal client?
```

Claude Code should find the Buyer Persona note.

If Claude Code cannot find the right note or gives an answer from the wrong note, the issue is usually a vague note title or missing content. Fix the note.

Failure modes and verification checks

The biggest failure is creating notes with generic placeholder content instead of real business information. "Insert your service here" is not a useful note. The second failure is not reviewing what Claude Code created — it may make assumptions about your business that are wrong. Always read the notes and correct them.

Verification: Claude Code can answer three real business questions by finding and referencing the correct vault notes.

Implementation checklist

• Create the folder structure.
• Create 20 notes with real business content.
• Review each note for accuracy.
• Fix any wrong or placeholder content.
• Test retrieval with three real business questions.
• Confirm Claude Code finds the right notes.

Immediate next action

Move to the next module. Your vault has real content now. In Module 11, you will build a tool that uses the vault, and in Module 12, you will write the CLAUDE.md that makes Claude Code aware of your vault's structure and conventions.

Exercise

Ask Claude Code a question about your business that requires information from multiple notes:

```
Based on my services, pricing, and buyer persona, draft a one-paragraph elevator pitch for my agency.
```

Evaluate the result. Does it accurately reflect your services? Does it speak to your target client? Is the pricing positioning correct? If the pitch is off, the issue is either in the notes (inaccurate content) or in the vault structure (Claude Code could not find the right notes). Fix the root cause, not the pitch.