Basics on Code/Git for Non-Devs

A plain-language introduction to code and git for product managers and designers who want to use a coding agent without a dev background.

You do not need to be a developer to get value from a coding agent. This page covers the two things non-developers most often need: getting a copy of your team's code onto your machine, and knowing where to put documents so they are shared with the team through git.

Working with Code

Coding agents like Claude Code and Codex can read and write code that lives on your machine. To get your team's code locally:

1. Install GitHub Desktop (or another git client).

2. Ask your dev team for read-only access to the codebase.

3. Use GitHub Desktop to clone (download) the repository to your computer.

Once the code is local, you can open it as a project in Nimbalyst and ask a coding agent questions about it: what a feature does, what has changed recently, or where a piece of behavior lives. If you are a PM working alongside engineers, Claude Code for product managers covers the same ground without a terminal.

Moving Plans or Other Documents into Git

Git only shares files that are inside the repository and not git-ignored. If you want a plan or other document to be synced with git so teammates can see it, move it into a folder that is not git-ignored.

For example, your organization might have a folder for specifications or shared plans. When a plan you are working on is ready for others to see and reference, move it into that folder.