AI After 50 — Episode #11 - Show Notes Putting it all Together: The Technical Side of The Lake & Grape Weekly Episode # 11 Recorded: Monday, November 9, 2026 Host: Mark Tennant Episode Summary This is the technical episode, but Mark keeps the language simple. In Episode 11, Mark explains how Claude helps produce The Lake and Grape Weekly every Friday morning. He walks through the files Claude reads, the instructions it follows, the sources it checks, and the connections it uses to place the finished newsletter into Beehiiv. The process begins with Markdown files that describe the newsletter, its readers, its format, and its rules. Reference files provide verified winery links, musician information, and local events. Claude skills store instructions for writing and checking each issue. Connectors and browser tools let Claude work with outside applications. Mark also explains why mistakes should become written rules. When Claude makes the same mistake twice, Mark adds a new instruction or checklist item so the problem does not continue. Claude performs much of the research, writing, and setup, but Mark still reviews every issue before it is scheduled. AI prepares the work. Mark makes the final decision. What to Remember A Markdown file is a plain text file that Claude can read and follow.A project brief tells Claude what the project is, who it is for, and how it should work.Reference files provide facts such as names, links, locations, and event information.A skill contains saved instructions for a job you perform more than once.A checklist catches mistakes before the work is finished.If you correct Claude twice on the same issue, write a rule for it.Connectors give Claude access to approved applications such as Google Drive or Microsoft 365.MCP is the standard working underneath many AI connections.When an application cannot be reached through a connector or API, Claude may be able to work through a browser.Events and links should be checked against current sources before publication.Extra research can be saved and used for social media posts or later content.Messages, publishing, file changes, and account actions should remain under human review.This Week’s Topic How Claude Runs the Weekly Newsletter Process The Lake and Grape Weekly is not produced from one prompt. Claude follows a set of files, rules, sources, and steps. The project brief explains the newsletter. It describes the audience, the three county area, the five section format, the writing style, and the location of each file. The reference files contain facts Claude should not guess. The winery master list includes verified winery websites and Facebook pages. The entertainment list contains information about the musicians who perform in the area. A monthly events file gathers information from local sources. The newsletter skill tells Claude how to perform the job. It includes the reader, the purpose, the section order, the word count, the writing style, words to avoid, and the checks Claude must run before finishing. Each Wednesday, Claude searches for events taking place from Thursday through Monday. Every event must be confirmed from a current source, and the source address is saved in the draft notes. Items that do not fit in the newsletter are saved in an overflow file. Mark uses those items for Facebook posts during the week. Claude then writes the issue as a Markdown file, runs the checklist, opens Beehiiv through Chrome, chooses the correct template, and places the content into the correct sections. Mark reviews the finished email, checks anything that does not match his knowledge of the area, and schedules it for Friday morning. Tool Spotlight Markdown Files A Markdown file is a plain text file that usually ends with .md. You do not need special software to create or read one. It can be opened in a basic text editor. Markdown files work well with AI because they can store instructions, facts, headings, lists, links, and project background in a format that is easy for both people and AI to read. Mark compares his project brief to the binder given to a new employee. It tells Claude what The Lake and Grape Weekly is, who reads it, which area it includes, how it is arranged, and which decisions have already been made. This means Mark does not have to explain the entire project every time he starts a new conversation. Memory can hold general information, but Mark prefers written files for exact links and rules that must be followed every time. He can open those files, check what they say, and change them when needed. Your One Move This Week Create a one page project brief for a job you perform more than once. Open Claude or your preferred AI assistant and enter: Interview me about this project one question at a time. When we finish, write a one page summary that explains the result I want, the format I need, the source material you should use, the people the work is for, the rules you must follow, and the actions that require my approval.Read the finished summary and correct anything that does not match how you work. Save the file and provide it at the beginning of your next work session. You have now created the first piece of a repeatable AI workflow. Coming Up Next In the next episode, Mark will step away from The Lake and Grape Weekly and share a business problem from his full time job at Phillips. He will explain how Microsoft Copilot was used to reduce a manual administrative process that took about 10 to 12 hours each month. The problem was not glamorous, but it was real. The next episode will show how AI can reduce repetitive work without removing the person responsible for the process. Subscribe - Click to subscribe Standard Show Notes: In the description on your podcast platformPremium Show Notes: Subscribe for deeper thoughts, bonus resources, and things you can reflect on as our journey together continuesNew episodes every week: Mash that Subscribe button/link on your platform to be notified....Website: AIAfter50.com ⚠️ HUMAN IN THE LOOP: Reviewed for accuracy before publishing. AI After 50 | Episode#11 | Show Notes | 11/10/2026
