Claude Code Camp was a popular online event with over 600 participants, focused on practical application of AI tools like Claude. Led by Dan Shipper and Kieran Klaassen, the camp emphasized getting hands-on with AI to boost how much you can do, fostering a collaborative community through live Q&A sessions and practical exercises in file and command creation.
What is Claude Code Camp?
Claude Code Camp was a practical, immersive workshop led by Every’s Dan Shipper and Kieran Klaassen, focusing on leveraging AI tools like Claude. Participants learned about .md
file structures, custom slash commands, and GitHub integration. Over 600 attendees engaged in live Q&A, fostering a collaborative community around AI-driven productivity and workflow automation.
Anticipation, Community, and a Dash of Chaos
Sometimes, the mere mention of a virtual event can trigger a sensory flashback – the soft ping of Slack, the nervous flicker of a webcam’s green light, the collective anticipation so thick you could slice it with a laser pointer. When I read Every’s recap of their Claude Code Camp, I was swept right back into that blend of curiosity and low-key anxiety that only comes from staring down a blank workflow and thinking, Is this the day I finally automate my way out of drudgery? There’s always a hint of skepticism lurking under my hood: Will this be another theoretical parade, or something with a bit more grit?
Back in the day (2019, if my memory isn’t lying), I found myself in a Zoom room with 40 strangers. Each of us squinted at our monitors, determined to find a hack that would rescue us from the Sisyphean torment of copy-paste. I can still remember the faint hum of my old ThinkPad’s fan as the clock ticked. Now, scale that up: Over 600 people RSVP’d for Every’s July 18th Claude Code Camp, a figure that still stuns me. It’s not just hype – that’s a bona fide groundswell. And yes, the Discord server is apparently alive with inside jokes and enough workflow memes to fill the Library of Congress (okay, maybe not literally, but you get the vibe).
The Anatomy of a Not-So-Ordinary Workshop
So, what exactly went on? This wasn’t your garden-variety webinar. Dan Shipper and Kieran Klaassen, two names that have become synonymous with AI productivity at Every, led the workshop with the energy of caffeinated jazz musicians. The event zeroed in on practicalities: Claude.md file structures, custom slash commands (the kind that can reclaim entire afternoons from digital entropy), and the nuts-and-bolts of integrating with GitHub. I once fumbled for hours trying to automate a GitHub task—if only I’d had this.
The real sizzle came from their live Q&A. There’s nothing quite like the sound of a question hitting the air, met with an immediate, actionable answer. The atmosphere was reminiscent of an improv show at The Comedy Cellar: unpredictable, charged, and just a bit sweaty-palmed. The difference? Instead of punchlines, you got workflow solutions. The value of immediacy can’t be overstated – imagine tossing a question about Claude’s model integration and getting a solution before you’ve taken your next sip of lukewarm coffee.
Every’s approach is methodical but far from stodgy. Their team, leaner than most (fifteen if you’re counting), runs more like a fleet of well-oiled Roombas than a lumbering IT department. AI agents like Claude, Codex, and the enigmatic Friday are deployed with the precision of chess grandmasters maneuvering bishops and knights—each model with its own strengths, each task passing like a relay baton. The result? A compounding effect where six new features, five bug fixes, and three infrastructure upgrades can materialize in a single week. Can you imagine matching that with sheer human will? Ha. I tried once. Never again.
Beyond Tools: The Emotional Core of Code Camp
Workshops like Claude Code Camp are about more than productivity hacks; they’re microcosms for what collaborative, AI-first communities could become. Paid subscribers don’t just get early access to tools like Cora and Sparkle (Cora: my current digital consigliere, if I’m honest), they gain entry into a support network that’s as much about camaraderie as it is about code. The Discord is a sensory overload: rapid-fire jokes, workflow confessions, and the occasional exasperated “ugh” when a bot hiccups. Once, I posted a question and got three answers before I’d even finished typing a thank-you. It felt oddly exhilarating – and a little humbling.
Looking back, there was a pinch of envy in me—600 people, all tapping into the same current, learning together, making AI less of a black box and more like a trusted sous-chef. The metaphor that sticks with me? It’s like turning the lights on in a basement workshop: suddenly, all the odd tools and half-finished projects are illuminated, ready to be put to use. Maybe next time, I’ll be in that Zoom room too. Or maybe I’ll just watch from the sidelines, quietly rooting for the next big breakthrough. (For the curious, the official event page and Dan Shipper’s profile are both worth a peek.)
Regret? Not quite. More like FOMO, flickering like the blue light from my monitor. Anyway…