- Founders who want to run AI themselves
- Agency teams
- Bookkeepers, accountants and consultants
- People who have used Claude in the browser and want more
On Autopilot’s Claude Code Setup Day is one working day, done with you, for Australian business owners and teams. We install and configure Claude Code on your computer, write up your business context so every session starts with it, connect two of your tools and build one real automation from your own work. It costs $1,500 fixed (AUD, ex GST), with a recording, a cheat sheet and 30 days of follow-up questions included.
How much does Claude Code setup cost?
With On Autopilot, a Claude Code Setup Day costs $1,500 fixed, ex GST, for one working day with up to three people from your team. There is no monthly fee to us. Claude itself is billed by Anthropic to your own Claude subscription or API account; current plans are on Anthropic’s pricing page, and we set spending limits on the day.
| What you pay for | Cost (AUD, ex GST) |
|---|---|
| The day: setup, configuration, one real automation, recording, cheat sheet, 30 days of follow-up | $1,500 fixed |
| Your Claude subscription or API usage | Billed by Anthropic to your account |
What is Claude Code, and why set it up properly?
Claude Code is Anthropic’s AI assistant that works in your computer’s terminal. Unlike chatting in a browser, it can read and write files on your computer, run commands and connect to your other tools, so it can do multi-step jobs, not just answer questions. That makes it powerful for business owners who are not developers: turning statements into spreadsheets, drafting replies from your sent emails, cleaning data, building small internal tools.
Most people stall in the same place. They install it, see a blinking cursor and do not know what to type, or they give it too much access without thinking about it. A day with someone who uses it daily gets you past both. (Prefer to read first? Our guide to Claude Code for non-developers is free.)
What happens on the day?
The day is split into two four-hour blocks.
Morning: set up
| Time | What we do |
|---|---|
| 0:00–0:30 | Your Claude subscription or Anthropic API account, with spending limits |
| 0:30–1:30 | Install Claude Code (see Anthropic’s setup guide or our Windows and Mac install walkthrough), first commands, how to read what it is doing |
| 1:30–2:30 | Write your CLAUDE.md: who you are, what the business does, your tools and preferences |
| 2:30–3:30 | Connect two tools through MCP, such as Google Drive and Gmail, or Notion and Slack |
| 3:30–4:00 | Permissions and settings: what it may do without asking, what it must never touch |
Afternoon: build
| Time | What we do |
|---|---|
| 4:00–6:30 | Build one real automation from your own work. You type, we guide, so you can rebuild it later |
| 6:30–7:00 | Saved commands for your three most repeated tasks |
| 7:00–7:30 | Recap recording, cheat sheet, and what to try next |
What could I build on the day?
Examples of the size of automation that fits in an afternoon (illustrations, not past client work):
- A bookkeeper: turn an emailed bank statement PDF into a clean CSV ready for Xero import.
- A shop owner: draft tomorrow’s product post from a one-line note and the product page.
- A consultant: turn a meeting transcript into action items and follow-up emails.
- An agency director: draft replies to the inbox in your own voice, from your sent emails.
- A real estate principal: a morning summary of new listings in your target suburbs.
If yours is bigger, we build the simplest useful version on the day and tell you what the full version would take.
What is not included?
- Your Claude subscription or API usage. Billed by Anthropic to you.
- Ongoing running of what you build. That is yours. If you would rather we build and run agents for you, see the six AI packages or managed AI, from $1,500 a month.
- More than three people. For a bigger team, ask on the audit call.
- A finished software product. The day builds a working automation, not a polished app.
Claude Code Setup Day vs the alternatives
| Option | Cost | What you get | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teach yourself from the docs | Free, plus your time | Full control | Hours of trial and error, and easy to skip the safety settings |
| An online course | Course fee | Structured lessons | Someone else’s examples, not your work |
| Hire a developer | Their day rate or project fee | Something built for you | You do not learn to run it yourself |
| On Autopilot Setup Day | $1,500 fixed | Set up on your machine, your context written, one real automation, 30 days of questions | One day: bigger builds need a follow-up |
Who is it for, and who is it not for?
It suits founders, agency teams, bookkeepers, accountants and consultants who want to use AI themselves every day, and anyone who has tried Claude in the browser and wants it working on their own files and tools.
If you would rather not learn it at all and just want a system running, a productised package or a Quick Start build at $497 suits you better.
What should I know about data and safety?
Claude Code can read and change files on your computer and act in tools you connect, so the setup matters (more in is Claude Code safe for business?). On the day we set it to ask before running commands or editing anything important, keep passwords and production systems out of reach, and connect only the tools you need. On an Anthropic API account, Anthropic’s commercial terms say it may not train models on your data. On a Claude Pro or Max subscription, consumer terms apply and your privacy settings control whether your chats help improve Claude; we go through that setting with you. If you handle personal information, your privacy policy should cover AI tools that process it overseas, under the Australian Privacy Principles.
Where does this come from?
We use Claude Code every day to build and run our own businesses: the 20-site Lead Gen Empire comparison network, the internal operations platform at our virtual assistant agency DotVA, and the inventory system for our skincare brand, Hey Bud Skincare. The setup day teaches the habits that keep those systems reliable. Read how the Lead Gen Empire network is run with Claude Code, or see every price on the pricing page.