Lesson 1.5 of the Free Claude Cowork Course · 20 minutes
Overview
So far you’ve run one task at a time. But Cowork doesn’t need your attention while it works — which means you can run several tasks in parallel and check on them as they finish. This lesson closes out Module 1 by turning you from someone who uses an assistant into someone who manages a small team of them.
What You’ll Do
- Launch two or three tasks simultaneously and monitor their progress
- Learn which tasks parallelize well and which need your attention serially
- Practice the review pass: checking parallel outputs efficiently
The Lesson
Say “start lesson 1.5”. You’ll take three independent tasks from the scenario folder — a summary, a file cleanup, a document draft — and launch them together. While they run, the lesson covers the judgment part: parallel work shines when tasks are independent and reviewable, and struggles when step two depends on how step one turned out. You’ll finish with a review pass across all three outputs, which is where your role settles for good: you’re the editor and decision-maker; the agents are the hands.
Try It Now
List this week’s pending tasks and mark which are independent enough to run in parallel. Pick two and run them together. That’s the end of Module 1 — Module 2 connects Cowork to your real tools and your team.
What’s Next
← Previous: 1.4 Documents and Decks
Next: 2.1 Connectors →
New here? Download the full course free on GitHub.
Rolling this out for a whole team? See our live team training.