Value-first Claude Code notes for solo consultants. Products only at the end of each post.
Why Claude Code asks before every command, why "don't ask again" doesn't always stick, and how to cut the prompts with allow rules, acceptEdits mode and a few deny rules, without reaching for bypass mode.
Why your Claude Code output style isn't taking effect, from a lowercase outputStyle value and a settings.local.json override to a style file edited mid-session. Twelve checks in order, with the fix for each.
Why a value in your Claude Code settings.json is ignored: a higher settings file overrides it, the key can't be set in that file, the JSON is broken, the folder isn't trusted, or a flag or environment variable wins. Twelve checks in order, with the fix for each.
Why Claude Code ignores your custom subagent or never loads it, and how to fix it. Ten checks in order, from silent frontmatter skips to descriptions that never trigger, plus three ways to force a subagent to run.
Why a Claude Code status line stays blank or shows empty values, and how to fix it. Nine checks in order, a tested statusline.sh that shows model, folder, context % and session cost, and how to test it without Claude Code.
A clear decision tree for solo consultants: what belongs in CLAUDE.md, what belongs in a skill, and what must be a hook—based on the official Claude Code docs.
How to install a Claude Code skill from a plain URL with mkdir and curl—no GitHub clone. Worked examples with three free consultant skills hosted on Solo Stack Kits.
Plain-English guide to Claude Code hooks and permission rules for consultants and freelancers. Five guardrails to set up before Claude Code works in a folder full of client files, with copy-paste examples.
Your SKILL.md works with /skill-name but Claude never picks it up on its own. Ten causes, in the order to check them, each with the fix, based on the Claude Code skills docs.
How solo consultants can use a short CLAUDE.md plus plain markdown files so Claude Code drafts proposals and follow-ups without inventing prices.
Two Claude Code skills for solo consultants: a monthly retainer report that never invents metrics, and a renewal reminder that does the date math for you.
The description line decides whether Claude Code ever uses your skill. A practical formula, before-and-after examples, the YAML mistake that silently breaks it, and a five-minute test.
A Claude Code skill pattern for consultants: extract decisions, owned action items, open questions and scope flags—with no task without a source quote.
Twelve Claude Code write-ups from Oct 6–13 that show real workflows—context, parallel sessions, multi-repo tasks, and setup—curated for consultants and freelancers.