Strategy · Analytics · AI

Hi, I'm Suraj Lath.

I turn messy data and hard problems into clear decisions. By day I lead Strategy & Analytics; by night I build AI agents and automations that do real work.

About me Set up Claude Code →
11+ years in strategy & analytics 8 yrs at Uber 3+ yrs at Everest Fleet Based in Thane, India
About

A bit about me

I'm a strategy and analytics leader with over a decade of experience — eight years at Uber, and the last 3+ years heading Strategy & Analytics at Everest Fleet, one of India's largest ride-hailing fleet operators. I care about the boring stuff that makes businesses win: clean metrics, honest unit economics, and plans that actually survive contact with reality.

Originally from Kolkata, now based in Thane. Outside the day job I'm deep into building with AI — agents that read my email, manage my finances, track my travel, and automate the repetitive parts of analytical work. Claude Code is at the center of how I build all of it, which is exactly why I put together the guide below.

Strategy
Operating plans, unit economics, pricing
Analytics
SQL, dashboards, decision support
AI & Automation
Agents, pipelines, tooling
Tech

How to install & set up Claude Code

The easiest way to get Claude Code is the Claude desktop app — it bundles chat and Claude Code together, so there's no terminal required. This is the exact, beginner-friendly walkthrough: download the app, sign in, connect GitHub, and point it at your project. About 15 minutes.

What you'll end up with: the Claude app open on your computer, your GitHub account connected, and a project folder (or repo) selected — so you can just describe what you want in plain English and Claude writes the code.

1 — Choose your computer

Pick your operating system — every step below shows the right instructions and screen for it.

2
2 min

Download the Claude app

In your browser, go to claude.com/download. Click Download for Windows (choose arm64 only if you know your PC is an ARM device — otherwise the normal button). Click Download for macOS (it auto-detects Apple silicon vs Intel).

claude.com/download — click the highlighted button:

claude.com/download Download Claude Chat, Cowork, and Claude Code — all in one place. Download for Windows Windows (arm64) Click here

claude.com/download — click the highlighted button:

claude.com/download Download Claude Chat, Cowork, and Claude Code — all in one place. Download for macOS Click here
3
2 min

Install it

  1. Open your Downloads folder and double-click Claude Setup (the .exe). If Windows shows a “Windows protected your PC” notice, click More info → Run anyway.
  2. Windows may ask for an administrator password (User Account Control). Click Yes.
No admin rights on a work laptop? Ask your IT team to enter the admin password, or to grant a temporary approval.

The admin approval that pops up — click Yes:

User Account Control Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device? C Claude Setup Verified publisher: Anthropic Yes No
  1. Open the downloaded Claude.dmg from your Downloads.
  2. In the window that opens, drag the Claude icon onto the Applications folder.
  3. Open Claude from Applications (or Launchpad). If macOS warns it's from the internet, click Open.

Drag Claude into Applications:

Claude Claude Applications
4
2 min

Open Claude & sign in

Launch the app and sign in with your Claude account. Any plan works — Pro ($20/mo) is plenty to start; Max gives much higher limits for daily use. No account yet? Create one at claude.ai/upgrade.

Log in to Claude you@email.com Continue with email or continue with Google
5
3 min · free · skip if you already have GitHub

Create a free GitHub account

Most people setting this up won't have a GitHub account yet — and that's completely fine. GitHub is a free service where your code and projects live online, so Claude can open them and save your changes. Creating one takes about two minutes.

Create your free GitHub account →

On github.com/signup:

  1. Click Continue with Google to reuse your Google login (fastest — no new password), or fill in an email and a password.
  2. Pick your Google account (or verify your email if asked) and confirm.
  3. You'll land on your GitHub dashboard — that's it, your account is ready.

github.com sign-up — the fast option:

github.com/signup Welcome to GitHub Continue with Google Sign up for GitHub
Already have a GitHub account? Skip this step — go straight to connecting it below.
6
2 min

Connect GitHub to Claude

This is the key step — it links your GitHub so Claude Code can open your projects.

  1. In the Claude app, open Settings → Connectors (on some versions it's under Customize → Connectors).
  2. In the search box, type git and find GitHub (a.k.a. “GitHub Integration”).
  3. Click Connect, sign in to GitHub, and click Authorize.
  4. When the button changes to Disconnect, GitHub is connected. ✅

Connectors → search “git” → Connect:

Chats Code Settings Connectors Connectors git| GitHub Let Claude read your repos & open pull requests Connect Google Drive
7
2 min

Open Code & select your project

Click the Code tab. Now tell Claude where to work — this is the “select folder / repo” step:

  • A folder on your computer — choose Local, then Select folder… and pick any folder (even an empty one for a brand-new project).
  • A GitHub repo — pick a cloud/Default environment, click Select repo…, and choose your repository from the list.

Code tab → pick a folder or a GitHub repo:

Chat Code Where should Claude work? Choose a folder on this computer, or one of your GitHub repos. 📁 Select folder… Select repo… surajlath/surajlath.com your-name/your-repo
8
2 min

Ask for your first task

Once a project is selected, the bar shows your repo and branch (e.g. surajlath.com · main) — that confirms Git is connected. Now just type what you want, in plain English:

“Create a simple personal homepage with an About section and a contact link, then show me how to open it.”
surajlath.com · main Add an About section to my homepage Sure — I'll create index.html with an About section and a contact link… Message Claude…

A few habits that help:

  • Be specific about the outcome you want — treat Claude like briefing a smart teammate.
  • Review its plan, then let it make the changes; ask it to explain anything you're unsure about.
  • Start a fresh chat when you switch to a different task, so it stays focused.

Troubleshooting

Windows won't let me install (“protected your PC” / needs admin)

Click More info → Run anyway on the blue notice. If it asks for an admin password and you don't have one on a work laptop, ask IT to approve it — installing an approved app like Claude is a standard request.

macOS says “Claude can't be opened because it's from an unidentified developer”

Right-click (or Control-click) the Claude app → OpenOpen again in the dialog. You only need to do this the first time.

I don't see “Connectors” in the app

Make sure the app is fully updated (quit and reopen it). Connectors live under Settings or Customize depending on your version — search the settings for “GitHub”.

Prefer the terminal (command line) instead?

Advanced users can install the standalone CLI. On macOS/Linux:

curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash

On Windows PowerShell:

irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex

Then run claude inside any project folder and follow the login prompts.

Official resources: Download — claude.com/download · Docs — docs.claude.com/claude-code · Plans — claude.ai/upgrade
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Contact

Get in touch

Happy to talk strategy, analytics, or building with AI.

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