CLAUDE.md

This file provides guidance to Claude Code (claude.ai/code) when working with code in this repository.

Project Overview

This is a Jekyll-based landing page for The Raise Company, a stealth fintech startup. It’s a minimalist single-page site with just the company name and a contact button.

Technology Stack

• Jekyll 4.3.x - Static site generator
• HTML/CSS/JavaScript - Frontend technologies
• Inter font - Typography from Google Fonts
• Responsive design - Mobile-first approach

Common Development Commands

# Install dependencies
bundle install

# Run development server
bundle exec jekyll serve

# Build for production
bundle exec jekyll build

# Build and watch for changes
bundle exec jekyll serve --watch --livereload

Local dev environment notes (read before troubleshooting)

This machine has TWO Ruby installs and they are NOT interchangeable:

• System Ruby at /usr/bin/ruby (2.6.10). bundle here lives at /usr/bin/bundle. Jekyll is NOT installed for this Ruby. Running bundle exec jekyll ... against system Ruby will fail with bundler: command not found: jekyll.
• Homebrew Ruby at /usr/local/Cellar/ruby/4.0.2/ (4.0.2). bundle here lives at /usr/local/Cellar/ruby/4.0.2/bin/bundle. Jekyll IS installed here. This is the one that works.

PATH ordering varies between the user’s interactive shell and Claude’s Bash tool. In Claude’s Bash tool, /usr/bin typically comes before /usr/local/bin, so plain bundle resolves to the system Ruby and fails. The user’s interactive shell normally has homebrew first, so plain bundle works for them.

If you see bundler: command not found: jekyll:

1. Do NOT run bundle install. Don’t update Gemfile.lock. Don’t change Ruby. The setup is fine.
2. Use the homebrew bundle explicitly: /usr/local/Cellar/ruby/4.0.2/bin/bundle exec jekyll <command>.
3. The Claude Code preview server is configured in .claude/launch.json to call this absolute path directly. Do not change that to plain bundle.

If the homebrew Ruby version (4.0.2) ever changes, update .claude/launch.json’s runtimeExecutable to the new path. Run ls /usr/local/Cellar/ruby/ to find the current version.

Project Structure

• _config.yml - Jekyll configuration and site metadata
• _layouts/ - HTML templates (default.html)
• assets/ - Static assets (CSS, JS, images)
• index.html - Main landing page with frontmatter
• Gemfile - Ruby dependencies

Site Configuration

Key settings in _config.yml:

• Site title: “The Raise Company”
• Description: Stealth fintech company
• Plugins: jekyll-feed, jekyll-sitemap, jekyll-seo-tag
• Domain: www.theraisecompany.ai (configured in CNAME)

Styling Approach

• Minimalist dark design (#0a0a0a background)
• Clean white text (#ffffff)
• Simple centered layout
• Inter font family for modern typography
• Subtle hover effects on contact button
• Mobile-responsive with breakpoints at 768px and 480px

JavaScript Functionality

• No JavaScript required for current implementation
• Contact button uses simple mailto: link

Content Strategy

Ultra-minimal stealth mode landing page:

• Company name: “The Raise Company”
• Single contact button linking to beste@theraisecompany.ai
• No feature descriptions or marketing copy
• Perfect for YC application and early-stage stealth

Known Limitations & TODOs

Missing Implementation

• Favicon: Referenced in _layouts/default.html:11 but /assets/favicon.ico doesn’t exist
• Email Backend: Form submission in assets/js/main.js:27-29 is simulated (1s timeout) - needs real API endpoint
• Analytics: Placeholder comment in _layouts/default.html:15 but no actual tracking code

Configuration Inconsistencies

• Domain Setup: _config.yml uses GitHub Pages URLs but CNAME points to www.theraisecompany.ai
  • Consider updating _config.yml to match: url: "https://www.theraisecompany.ai" and baseurl: ""

First-Time Setup

Before running the site locally for the first time:

# Generate Gemfile.lock
bundle install

# Verify Jekyll version
bundle exec jekyll --version  # Should be 4.3.0

Deployment

This site is configured for GitHub Pages deployment via the CNAME file pointing to www.theraisecompany.ai.

GitHub Pages Setup

1. Repository must be public or you need GitHub Pro for private repo Pages
2. Enable Pages in repository Settings → Pages
3. Set source to deploy from main branch root directory
4. DNS must have CNAME record: www.theraisecompany.ai → elijahmurray.github.io
5. Wait 5-10 minutes for DNS propagation after first deploy

Build Process

GitHub Pages automatically runs bundle exec jekyll build on push to main branch.

Future Enhancements

When ready to connect the email signup form:

1. Set up backend API endpoint (e.g., Mailchimp, ConvertKit, custom API)
2. Update the API URL in assets/js/main.js:27
3. Add CORS headers if using external service
4. Consider adding privacy policy link near signup form
5. Add email confirmation/double opt-in flow