The 5-Minute AI Setup: From Zero to Coding with AI

Get AI assistance running in your workflow in the next 5 minutes. Zero fluff, just the essential steps.

Reading time: 4 minutes Category: Getting Started Published: January 11, 2026

What You’ll Have in 5 Minutes

• ✅ AI assistant ready to use
• ✅ First AI-generated code
• ✅ Proof that it works

Prerequisites: None. Just a code editor.

Minute 1-2: Install & Authenticate

Pick your AI tool (choose ONE):

Option A: Claude Code (Recommended)

# Install
npm install -g claude-code

# Authenticate
claude auth login

Option B: GitHub Copilot

# Install VS Code extension: "GitHub Copilot"
# Sign in with GitHub account

Done? You now have AI in your editor.

Minute 3: Your First AI Task

Test with this simple challenge:

Type this comment in your editor:

// Function to validate email address

Press Tab (or trigger AI)

Expected result:

// Function to validate email address
function validateEmail(email) {
  const emailRegex = /^[^\s@]+@[^\s@]+\.[^\s@]+$/;
  return emailRegex.test(email);
}

Did it work? ✅ Your AI is ready.

Minute 4: Real Task - Generate Tests

Copy-paste this into Claude/AI:

Write tests for this function:

function addNumbers(a, b) {
  return a + b;
}

Result (10 seconds):

describe('addNumbers', () => {
  it('should add two positive numbers', () => {
    expect(addNumbers(2, 3)).toBe(5);
  });

  it('should handle zero', () => {
    expect(addNumbers(0, 5)).toBe(5);
  });

  it('should add negative numbers', () => {
    expect(addNumbers(-2, 3)).toBe(1);
  });
});

Proof: AI just saved you 5 minutes of writing tests.

Minute 5: Create Your Prompt Library

Save these prompts (you’ll use them daily):

File: ai-prompts.md

## Generate Tests
Write [framework] tests for this function. Include happy path,
edge cases, and error scenarios.

## Add Documentation
Add comprehensive JSDoc/TSDoc to these functions with examples.

## Refactor Code
Refactor this code to be more readable and maintainable.
Add TypeScript types and error handling.

## Debug This
This code throws [error]. Identify the issue and fix it.

## Code Review
Review this code for bugs, security issues, and improvements.

Usage: Copy prompt → Paste code → Get result.

You’re Done! Now What?

Immediate next steps (pick one):

Easy Win: Write Tests for Existing Code

1. Find any untested function
2. Use “Generate Tests” prompt
3. Run tests, commit

Time saved: 10-15 minutes per function

Learn More: Better Prompts

• Read Prompt Engineering
• Master the 5 Tasks to Delegate

Level Up: Team Setup

• Set up AI Workflow for your team
• Use Claude Zen for structured development

Common First-Day Issues

Issue: “AI suggestions are slow” → Check internet connection, restart editor

Issue: “Suggestions aren’t helpful” → Be more specific in prompts (add context, requirements)

Issue: “I don’t know what to ask” → Start with the 3 prompts above, expand from there

Measuring Success

Track this after your first day:

Task	Before AI	With AI	Saved
Write 5 tests	25 min	5 min	20 min
Document 3 functions	15 min	3 min	12 min
Debug error	30 min	10 min	20 min

Total saved: 52 minutes in one day.

The 5-Minute Challenge

Do this right now:

1. ⏱️ Minute 1-2: Install AI tool
2. ⏱️ Minute 3: Test with email validation
3. ⏱️ Minute 4: Generate tests for addNumbers
4. ⏱️ Minute 5: Save the 5 prompts

Success? You’re now coding with AI. Everything from here is upside.

Next: Try Quick Wins for 3 immediate high-impact tasks.