Anthropic just launched Claude Cowork. It’s their attempt to bring the power of AI coding to non-technical people.

But within hours of the launch, the risks of this new "friendly" interface were exposed almost immediately by developer James McAulay (virgildotcodes). In a viral review of Claude Cowork, he demonstrated a catastrophic failure mode: he asked the AI to simply "clean up" a directory, but because Cowork abstracts away the specific command approvals found in the terminal, it interpreted the request as a license to purge. The result was the permanent deletion of 11GB of critical data, including his entire folders of YouTube footage and LinkedIn assets, before he could stop it.

In our software agency with 20 engineers, we use Claude Code (the terminal-based tool) not just for coding, but to run our entire "Agency OS", sales, marketing, and delivery. Naturally, we were excited to see if Cowork could replace our terminal setup.

After testing it and comparing it to our current workflow, the answer is: Not yet.

In this guide, I'll break down the differences between Claude Cowork and Claude Code, show you exactly how I run an agency using AI in the terminal, and help you decide which tool is right for you.

Watch the video guide here:

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What is Claude Cowork?

Conceptually, Cowork is Claude Code wrapped in a nicer interface.

Claude Code unlocked something massive: for the first time, we could give an AI a task, walk away, and come back 10 minutes later to find real work done on files. But it required using the command line (Terminal), which scares a lot of people.

Cowork is Anthropic’s answer to that fear. It gives you file access, tool access, and agents working together in a visual UI.

The Problem: The "Fuzzy Middle"

Right now, Cowork sits in an awkward spot.

• Too technical for completely non-technical users.
• Too limited for power users who are already using Claude Code.
• Mac Only: If you are on Windows or Linux, you're currently out of luck.

Reality Check: The power of Claude Code isn't that it runs in a terminal. The power is Context Control. Cowork tries to give you the outputs without giving you the precise control over what context is loaded, and that is where it struggles for professional use.

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The "Agency OS": Why We Stick to Claude Code

To run a professional agency, you need precision. You need to control exactly which files are read, which tools are triggered, and how the context is managed.

We use a specific folder structure I call Agency OS. We have different directories for Sales, Marketing, and Delivery.

Because we use the terminal (Claude Code), we can switch "modes" by simply changing directories. The AI knows that when we are in the Marketing folder, it should behave like a content strategist, and when we are in Delivery, it acts like a project manager.

Here is how this looks in practice across three key business functions.

1. Marketing: Precision Context Loading

When we create a video (like this one), we don't just ask a chatbot to "write a script." That produces generic garbage.

In Claude Code, we load a very specific stack of context:

1. Whisper Flow Dump: Raw voice notes and brain dump.
2. Video Ideation Skill: A custom prompt that asks clarifying questions.
3. Reference Material: PDF guides on YouTube packaging and retention (e.g., Liam Ottley’s course notes).
4. Brand Voice Guide: A specific markdown file defining how we speak.

We feed this context to Claude Code and ask it to generate the brief and script. Because we have granular control over the files, the output is 95% ready to go. Cowork currently struggles to handle this level of multi-file, specific referencing without getting confused.

2. Delivery: The Power of MCP (Model Context Protocol)

This is where it gets crazy. I use MCP servers to connect Claude Code to my external tools without ever opening a browser.

The Scenario: A developer asks a clarifying question about a feature scope during a standup. We couldn't remember exactly what was agreed upon.

The Workflow (Time: 2 minutes):

1. I ask Claude Code to use the Fireflies MCP to fetch the transcript of yesterday's call.
2. Claude reads the transcript, finds the exact timestamp, and clarifies the edge case.
3. I tell Claude: "Update the project ticket."
4. Claude uses the ClickUp MCP to post the clarification directly into the task.

I didn't open Fireflies. I didn't open ClickUp. I didn't break my flow.

3. Sales: Instant Follow-up

I recently had a call with a lead who wanted a security audit on their hard-coded app. It was a simple job, not requiring a full proposal.

The Workflow:

• Immediately after the call, I typed into the terminal: "Fetch the last call transcript via Fireflies. Draft a follow-up email based on our discussion. Tune it to be casual but professional."
• Claude generated the draft.
• I hit send.

The prospect had the follow-up in their inbox in seconds. That speed wins deals.

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The Verdict: Should YOU Switch?

Cowork is the future of how normal people will interact with computers, but today, it is an early beta product with risks (like deleting 11GB of files).

Here is the decision framework:

Use Claude Cowork if:

• You are Non-Technical and the terminal terrifies you.
• You are on a Mac.
• You have Simple Tasks (e.g., "Take this folder of notes and make a summary doc").
• You don't need to connect complex external tools via MCP yet.

Stick with Claude Code if:

• You need Professional Precision and control over your context.
• You are building complex software or running an "Agency OS."
• You need to use MCP Tools (Fireflies, ClickUp, GitHub, etc.) reliably.
• You are on Windows or Linux.
• You cannot afford to lose files.

Reality Check: Anthropic knows that Claude Code isn't just for coding. They are moving toward an OS that runs your business. But for now, if you want the superpower of an AI workforce, you still need to be comfortable in the command line.

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