Coming from ChatGPT? Here's What's Different
Claude feels different from ChatGPT. Here is why that happens, and how to set it up so it works the way you expect.
ChatGPT is great. This is not a competition. But if you have tried Claude and walked away thinking "it doesn't remember me" or "my preferences never stick", you are not imagining things. Claude works differently by design, and once you understand why, the fix takes about five minutes. Let's walk through it together.
The biggest difference: where Claude lives
ChatGPT lives in your browser. It keeps a list of your past conversations and can build on them across sessions. Claude Code lives on your machine. It runs in your terminal (or the Claude.ai web app), but it does not have a built-in memory system that follows you around. Every new session starts fresh. This is not a bug. It is actually what makes Claude powerful for real work: it operates directly on your files, your folders, and your code. But it does mean you need to tell it who you are. The good news: you only do this once.
Making Claude remember you: meet CLAUDE.md
The answer to "why does Claude keep forgetting me?" is a file called CLAUDE.md. Place it in your project folder (or your home directory for global preferences), and Claude reads it automatically at the start of every session. No plugin, no setting, no subscription upgrade. Just a text file. Here is how to create one right now.
# Create a CLAUDE.md in your home directory
# This applies to every Claude session on your machine
cat > ~/CLAUDE.md << 'EOF'
# About Me
I am a product manager at a SaaS company.
I prefer concise answers. No preamble.
Always use British English spelling.
# My Work Context
I mostly work on roadmaps, user research, and Jira tickets.
When I ask for writing help, match the tone of what I paste.
# Preferences
- Bullet points over long paragraphs
- Give the answer first, reasoning after
- Never use filler phrases like "Certainly!" or "Great question!"
EOFYour preferences stick now
Once your CLAUDE.md exists, try starting a fresh session. Claude will read it before you type your first message. You do not need to say "remember, I prefer concise answers" ever again. Test it now by asking Claude to write something and see whether it matches the style you specified.
# Start a new Claude session and test it
claude "write a three-bullet summary of what a product roadmap is"Projects that persist: using project-level CLAUDE.md files
Your home directory CLAUDE.md covers your global preferences. But for specific projects, you can add a second CLAUDE.md right inside the project folder. Claude merges both: global preferences from your home directory, project context from your project folder. This is how you get ChatGPT-style continuity, without needing a cloud service to store your context.
# Inside your project folder, create a project-specific CLAUDE.md
cd ~/my-product-work
cat > CLAUDE.md << 'EOF'
# Project: Roadmap Q3 Planning
This is a quarterly roadmap planning workspace.
## Key Files
- roadmap-draft.md : current working draft
- user-research-notes.md : interview summaries from April
- competitor-analysis.csv : last updated March 2025
## Context
We are deciding between three strategic bets for Q3.
The decision needs to go to leadership by Friday.
## Decisions Already Made
- Mobile-first is the priority
- We are not building native apps this cycle
EOFThe honest comparison: when to use which tool
Neither tool is better. They are built for different kinds of work. Here is a clear breakdown so you can use each one where it shines, without guilt or switching anxiety.
Share what you built
Let your network know. Pre-filled post (edit before posting).
Just completed "Coming from ChatGPT? Here's What's Different" on Claude Code Guide in 10 min. No coding experience needed. Claude does the work, you do the thinking. 👇 Free tutorial: https://claudecodeguide.dev/tutorials/coming-from-chatgpt
What's next?
Build your first CLAUDE.md