$ cat problem.md
The Problem
Context switching between AI tools was killing productivity. Every time I moved from Cursor to Claude Code to ChatGPT, I had to re-explain:
- What I was working on
- The codebase structure and conventions
- Previous decisions and why they were made
- The current state of the project
It felt like having amnesia every time I opened a new tool. Each AI assistant started from zero, wasting time on re-explaining instead of actual work.
$ cat solution.md
The Solution
Built a structured project setup that maintains context across all AI tools I use:
- Cursor: Configured with project-specific rules and context files
- Claude Code: Access to same codebase with skills and instructions
- Claude Desktop: Project mode with shared knowledge base
- ChatGPT: Custom instructions that reference the same project structure
The key is a shared foundation: CLAUDE.md files, .cursorrules, and .clinerules that every tool can read. Context persists no matter which tool I'm in.
$ cat stack.md
Technical Stack
The second brain isn't a single tool - it's an orchestrated system:
- Cursor: Primary coding environment with AI pair programming
- Claude Code (CLI): Terminal-based assistant for quick tasks
- Claude Desktop: Project mode for high-level planning and design
- ChatGPT: Supplementary for specific tasks
- Shared context files: CLAUDE.md, .cursorrules, .clinerules in each project
Each tool reads from the same source of truth. When I update project conventions in one place, all tools benefit. No more maintaining separate instructions for each AI.
$ cat impact.md
Impact
Never Lose Context
The transformation is dramatic:
- Switch between tools without re-explaining project context
- Each AI knows the codebase structure, conventions, and current goals
- Consistent responses across tools because they share the same foundation
- New projects spin up faster - just copy the context structure
It's like having one continuous conversation across multiple tools instead of starting over every time. The cognitive load reduction is massive.
$ _
How Projects Are Organized
my-project/
├── .cursorrules # Cursor-specific context
├── .clinerules # Claude Code context
├── CLAUDE.md # Shared project context
├── docs/
│ ├── architecture.md # System design
│ └── decisions.md # ADRs and rationale
├── src/
│ └── [code...]
└── README.md # Project overview
Every AI tool reads these context files first, ensuring they understand the project before making suggestions.
How Context Persists
Source of Truth
│
┌──────────┼──────────┐
│ │ │
CLAUDE.md .cursorrules .clinerules
│ │ │
┌──────┴────┬────┴────┬────┴─────┐
│ │ │ │
Cursor Claude Claude ChatGPT
Code Desktop
All tools read from same files
→ Consistent context everywhere
→ No re-explaining needed
Update context once, benefit everywhere. This is the key to never losing context.
Sample Context File
# Project Context ## What This Project Does [Clear description of purpose and goals] ## Architecture - Tech stack: Next.js, TypeScript, Tailwind - Key conventions: [specific patterns we follow] - File structure: [how code is organized] ## Current Work - Active tasks: [what we're building now] - Known issues: [things to be aware of] - Decisions: [important architectural choices] ## How to Help - Code style: [formatting preferences] - Testing: [test requirements] - Documentation: [when to add docs]
Customize this template for each project. All AI tools read it before responding.