Choose your architecture
Your goals decide what you need. Every extra part adds cost and something else that can break, so ask for the simplest setup that works.
In the Claude app, click + New. Check that your project folder is selected, and set the mode to Plan.
Click Copy, paste into the prompt box and press Enter.
Act as a senior software architect. I'm not technical, so use plain language. Read docs/product.md and docs/design.md. Ask me what you need to know, one question at a time: accounts, what data we store, payments, expected users, and budget.
Recommend the simplest architecture that meets these goals, using popular tools. Include a simple diagram, the monthly cost now and at 1,000 users, how people's data stays safe, and what would change if we grew 100 times.
Then challenge your own recommendation: what's most likely to cause pain in six months? Don't write any app code. Save this as docs/architecture.md.Answer Claude's questions one at a time. Short answers are fine, and "I don't know" is a good answer. Claude will suggest options.
Read the plan Claude shows you. To change it, keep planning and type what you'd change. When it looks right, approve it, and choose Yes when Claude asks to make changes. Claude creates the document.
Click docs/architecture.md in the chat to read it. If something's wrong, tell Claude what to change.