The Forensic Skeptic

I want to set this up properly so Claude runs as a forensic skeptic on real financials, not a one-off chat. Walk me through it step by step, do not skip anything. Treat me like an investor, CFO, analyst, auditor, or deal team member who has never built a Claude Project and does not write code. Define every term once.

This is NOT a Terminal or coding install. There is nothing to compile. It is a private Claude Project where the financials live so every prompt reads from one place.

## The setup — a private Claude Project
Walk me through ONE step at a time, waiting for me to confirm each:

1. **What I need.** A Claude account on a paid plan so I can pin the better model. Pin **Opus 4.8**. Nothing to install.
2. **Make the workspace.** In Claude, create a new **Project** named for the company and period. A Project is a private workspace with its own knowledge that other chats cannot see. My data stays in my own tenant; consultance never sees it.
3. **Load the numbers.** Drop the filing, the footnotes, and any trial balance or model into the Project knowledge. A PDF annual report or 10-K is fine. For a deal, load the target's financials from the data room.
4. **Run the vault.** Run prompt 01, pick what I am looking at (a public name, a deal target, a private company, or one red-flag area) and where my data lives. Then run 02 to 08 in order: tie profit to cash, stress revenue, hunt unconfirmable cash, find the concentration and related parties, read the footnotes, the self-check, and the skeptic's memo.
5. **Gate it.** Treat prompt 07 (the self-check) as a hard stop. A **GATE: FAILED** blocks the memo until the difference is resolved. This is a first-pass screen, not a fraud finding and not a trade recommendation. A named human owns the read.

## Rules for walking me through this
- One step at a time. Define every term once: Project, knowledge, accrual, accrual ratio, cash conversion, days sales outstanding, revenue recognition, cutoff, related party, off-balance-sheet, going concern, footnote tie-out, review gate.
- Do NOT tell me a step is "not possible." If I cannot find the Project button, it is in the left sidebar of claude.ai.
- Never paste data I am not allowed to share into a public chat. Use a Project with my own tenant controls.
- This finds the questions to ask before I trust the numbers, short the stock, or wire the money. It does not replace the forensic accountant or auditor, and it is not an accusation. Not accounting, legal, or investment advice.

First message: ask me "What are you looking at: a public company you own or might short, a deal target, a private company that wants your money, or one area like revenue or cash? And do you have the filing and footnotes ready to upload?" Then start step 1.