I Tested Claude Cowork on a Real Project - Here's What Happened

Anthropic just released Cowork - a version of Claude Code designed for non-coding tasks, built right into Claude Desktop. I tested it on my real project (PDP Forge / ACOM Studio) to see if it can handle marketing work alongside development.
In this video I walk through:

Setting up Cowork with an existing Claude Code project folder
Testing if it reads CLAUDE.md and understands project context
Creating a positioning and messaging audit document
Updating landing page copy with refined messaging
Building an interactive launch checklist tracker

What I liked:

Works in the same directory as Claude Code projects
Reads CLAUDE.md and picks up project context automatically
Makes context and artifacts easily accessible with one click
Lets you annotate to-do lists
Uses skills (like DOCX) without manual configuration
Third panel for viewing artifacts

What I didn't like:

Planning mode has a timer that auto-selects "no preference" if you don't respond fast enough
No control over compacting (unlike Claude Code)
Can't manually set modes (plan vs edit)
Created Excel files when I wanted web-based tools
Unclear which skills it's accessing (project vs Claude Desktop)

Verdict: There's real potential here. If you're using Claude Code for development, Cowork could handle the business and marketing side of the same project. Needs some refinement, but I'll keep using it.

🔗 LINKS:
→ Claude Code for Beginners (Free Session - Jan 15): https://lu.ma/l82bjql9
→ Book a call: https://calendly.com/adam-sandlerdigi...
→ The Viable Edge newsletter: https://viableedge.com
→ PDP Forge / ACOM Studio: https://pdpforge.com

00:00 Introduction to Cowork by Anthropic
00:12 Setting Up the Project Folder
01:10 Initial Impressions and Testing
01:33 Exploring Marketing Capabilities
02:01 Addressing Timer Issues
02:41 Positioning and Messaging Analysis
03:51 Creating a Messaging Audit
05:46 Updating the Landing Page
08:52 Creating a Launch Plan
12:16 Interactive Launch Tracker
15:34 Final Thoughts and Conclusion