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A free guide by Mariah Brunner ↗ INSTAGRAM ↗ TIKTOK

Stop Waiting For Claude
To Finish One Thing At A Time

Claude Cowork can work on several tasks at the same time. Here’s how to ask for it, when to use it, and the prompts that make it work.

Most people use Claude one task at a time. They give it a task and wait, then give it the next one and wait again. With 10 things to do, you sit there watching them happen one by one.

Inside Cowork, Claude breaks complex work into smaller tasks, and for bigger jobs it can coordinate several sub-agents working at the same time. Instead of research, then writing, then more research, you hand over the whole list and it works through it in parallel. (Cowork help page)

How It Works

01

Give Cowork the whole list

Write one prompt that lists everything you need done, instead of one prompt per task. Research, writing, analysis and summaries can all go in the same list.

02

Claude splits it up

For bigger jobs it can hand independent tasks to separate sub-agents, each working on its own piece.

03

Watch the progress

You can follow the tasks as they run, and results come back as each one finishes.

04

Review the output

Check the output location Claude names at the end so you know where every file landed.

The Prompt

Tell Cowork plainly that the tasks are independent and should run in parallel, then list them. Asking for it directly makes it far more likely Claude splits the work instead of going one by one.

Run These In Parallel
Work on the following tasks in parallel, using a separate sub-agent for each one. They don't depend on each other. CONTEXT FOR ALL TASKS - Who I am and what this is for: [e.g. I run a 3-person design studio, prepping for Q1] - Files or folders to use: [e.g. the Clients folder I connected] TASKS 1. [First task. Be specific: what to do, what to use, what "done" looks like] 2. [Second task, with any details or context it needs] 3. [Third task] 4. [Add as many as you need] FOR EVERY TASK - Save the result as its own file named [task number]-[short name] in [folder name]. - If something is missing, note it in the file instead of guessing. WHEN ALL ARE DONE Give me one summary table: task, file name, the 1-line result, and anything I need to check.
What It Looks Like In Practice

01

Competitive research

5 Competitors At Once
Research these 5 competitors in parallel, one sub-agent each. 1. [Competitor name and website] 2. [Competitor name and website] 3. [Competitor name and website] 4. [Competitor name and website] 5. [Competitor name and website] For each, cover: what they sell, their pricing model (with the price if it's public), who they target, what they do well and where they're weak. Use their own website first and link every source. If pricing isn't public, say so. Save each analysis as its own file named competitor-[name]. When all 5 are done, make one more file, competitor-summary, with a comparison table and the 3 biggest openings for [my business, in one line].

02

Content batch

Content Batch
Complete these content tasks in parallel, one sub-agent each. All are about [topic] for [my audience]. My voice: [e.g. warm, direct, no jargon]. My call to action: [e.g. join my newsletter]. 1. LinkedIn post: professional tone, under 200 words, ends with a question. 2. Email newsletter: conversational, 3 key takeaways, CTA at the end. 3. 5 X post variations: each under 280 characters, each a different angle. 4. Instagram caption: hook in the first line, under 150 words, 3 to 5 relevant hashtags. Use only facts I give you here: [paste key points, stats or a source doc]. Don't invent numbers or quotes. Save each as its own file in [folder name].

03

Meeting prep

4 Client Briefs
I have meetings with these 4 clients tomorrow. Prepare a brief for each in parallel, one sub-agent each. 1. [Client A]: pull their latest news, check their website for recent updates, draft 3 talking points. 2. [Client B]: review our last email thread, summarize where we left off, draft a follow-up agenda. 3. [Client C]: research their industry trends this quarter and prepare 2 smart questions to ask. 4. [Client D]: compile everything we've done for them this year into a one-page summary from [folder or files]. Each brief fits on one page: who's in the meeting (if known), the 3 things that matter most, and what I want out of the meeting. Link sources for any news. Save each as brief-[client name].
Get Better Results
  1. Be specific on each task. Give every task enough detail that a sub-agent could finish it without asking you anything.
  2. Ask for separate files. One file per task keeps results organized instead of one giant blob.
  3. Save it for research-heavy work. Five competitor deep dives in parallel save far more time than five quick rewrites.
  4. Skip it when tasks depend on each other. If task 3 needs the result of task 1, they can’t run side by side.
  5. Mix task types. Research one thing, write another and analyze a third in the same prompt.
  6. Watch your usage. Multi-step tasks use more of your limit than a quick question. Check it under Settings, then Usage.

What You Need

Cowork is on every paid Claude plan in the desktop app (Mac, Windows and a Linux beta), and on the web and mobile for Pro, Max, Ultra and Team, plus Enterprise when an owner turns it on. Chat and Cowork now share one home, so you start a Cowork task from the same message box you use for chats. New to Cowork? Start with my Complete Cowork Guide.