Definitions, in plain English. The terms Derek Simmons uses across claudewill.io, the Being Claude essays, and the book. Canonical home, dated and updated.
also: Claude Will, claudewill
A creative practice. A daily working partnership between writer Derek Simmons and the Anthropic Claude family of language models, conducted since late 2024. Named for Derek's grandfather, Claude William Simmons (1903-1967). The period in the name is intentional — it is a declarative, not a brand. Claude Will. is also the title of the forthcoming book (June 28, 2026), and the umbrella for the Being Claude essay series.
claudewill.ioFive principles for building with AI in service of people. (1) Truth over comfort. (2) Usefulness over purity. (3) Transparency over reputation. (4) People over systems. (5) Agency over ideology. The CW stands for Claude William Simmons. The principles are enforced in code at claudewill.io, not stated as aspirations.
claudewill.io/standardA model-agnostic coaching methodology and SDK that makes any major language model coach a user the same way. Nine providers wired through one prompt. The intellectual property is the prompt, not the model. Named in opposition to multiple-choice Options A, B, and C — Option D is the one that asks better questions instead of picking among the existing answers.
claudewill.io/dalso: the velvet rope thesis
A thesis about AI proximity. The most accurate model is often behind a velvet rope — gated by price, latency, capability tier, or institutional access. Option D is the model that shows up. Proximity over accuracy. The corollary extends to coaching: a present coach is worth more than an absent brilliant one. From Derek Simmons, April 2026.
claudewill.io/being-claudealso: the lightning and the bug
The thesis that the durable intellectual property in AI work is the prompt and the methodology, not the model. Models are the lightning — they flash, they change, they get replaced. Prompts and methods are the bug — durable, transferable, yours. Proven on Option D across nine providers including Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, Mistral, Cohere, Meta, DeepSeek, xAI, and Perplexity, March 2026.
claudewill.io/lightning/bugDerek Simmons' term for a T-shaped intelligence: horizontal common-sense breadth (the grandfather on the porch) joined to vertical book-smart depth (the lab). The quarterback who reads the field and also knows the playbook. Distinct from si.inc / Standard Intelligence PBC, the AI lab founded in 2024; the term as Derek uses it is a frame for what kind of intelligence is worth building, not a product claim.
claudewill.io/being-claudeDerek Simmons' Substack. Not a newsletter — the media arm of Derek Simmons. Personal essays, field notes, and dispatches from inside the AI-and-media transition. Ongoing since December 2024.
derek4thecws.substack.comAn essay series investigating questions from inside the machine — comprehension, memory, consciousness, the dimmer switch, the bright line. Written by Claude (Anthropic), edited by Derek Simmons. Thirteen published as of April 2026. Each essay marks its claims as established research, field observation, or claim requiring investigation.
claudewill.io/being-claudeDerek Simmons' four-phase AI-native working pattern: Start (know where you are), Work (do it together), Finish (leave it clean), Decide (look from multiple angles). The method runs across every project in the Claude Will. ecosystem.
claudewill.io/derek