Cowork · use it Code on the web · delegate it Code in the terminal · steer it

Cowork & Code

Which agent, when, for whomfor whatfor nowfor whom?

From the work you can hand off tomorrow to the capability you grow into. One model for reaching for the right agent — and getting the outcome.

Sandhiya Thiruvengadam
Leader — HRBP & AI
Sandhiya ThiruvengadamCowork & Code
The one idea to keep

Cowork is the agent your team uses.
Code is the agent that builds what your team uses.

One scales your people.  The other scales your function.

Not two competing products — two points on a single line. Most people start on the left and grow to the right.

Sandhiya ThiruvengadamThe one idea
One line · three surfaces

Use it → delegate it → steer it

Anyone · no setup No terminal · delegate & walk away Full control · steer live
Cowork · desktop

Use it

Does your work in your own files, sandboxed. You approve what it touches. No technical skill, nothing to install.

Code · on the web

Delegate it

Hand a well-defined job to a cloud sandbox, walk away, come back to the result. No terminal. The gentle on-ramp into Code.

Code · in the terminal

Steer it

Full local access, and you course-correct as it works. For jobs that need control and live direction, not hand-off.

The simple tell: web when you know exactly what you want — terminal when you need to drive it as it unfolds.

Sandhiya ThiruvengadamThree surfaces
Side by side

Same job. Two very different teammates.

Claude CoworkClaude Code
In one lineAn AI teammate for everyday workAn AI engineer that builds tools
Lives onDesktop app, sandboxedThe web, or your terminal — full access
Works withDocuments, spreadsheets, files, foldersCode, APIs, databases, deployments
Who uses itAnyone — no technical skillAnyone willing to delegate or steer a bigger task
Best forRepetitive, time-consuming, low-judgment workMulti-step jobs that don't exist as a tool yet
Risk postureApprove-what-it-touches, containedPowerful — runs in a sandbox, still governed
The payoffProductive this weekTransformative this quarter
Sandhiya ThiruvengadamSide by side
Pros, cons & the graduation moment

Where each one shines — and when to graduate

Cowork
ShinesDocuments, spreadsheets, research and your connectors — safely, in your own local files.
LagsContained and one task at a time. Can't run on its own or reach beyond the folder you give it.
Code · on the web
ShinesDelegating a defined job to the cloud — no setup, runs on repos not even on your laptop.
LagsNo live steering, and your work needs to live in a connected GitHub repo.
Code · in the terminal
ShinesMaximum power and live control over any local folder — GitHub optional.
LagsSetup and terminal comfort required; you supervise and govern it.
The signal to graduate: when you catch yourself doing the same Cowork task every week — that's the moment to hand it to Code.

Cowork-first for everyone. Code when the task earns it — not because you're a builder, but because the work outgrew the front door.

Sandhiya ThiruvengadamPros, cons & graduation
“Do we need a GitHub account?”

What you actually need to start

Cowork
You needThe desktop app + the folder you choose. That's it.
GitHub?No — never.
RunsOn your machine, sandboxed.
Code · on the web
You needA Claude account + a connected GitHub repo to work on.
GitHub?Yes — it clones your repo.
RunsIn a secure cloud sandbox.
Code · in the terminal
You needA one-time local install, working on your own files.
GitHub?Optional — only if your project uses it.
RunsOn your machine, full access.
So — GitHub is only for Code on the web. Cowork never needs it, and the terminal only if your work already lives there.
Sandhiya ThiruvengadamWhat you need to start
What you get · by function 01 / 03

Head of Talent Acquisition

Outcomes that matter: req-to-hire speed · candidate quality · recruiter capacity

Cowork — your recruiters' daily co-pilot
The winScreen a folder of resumes against a JD · summarize interview debriefs · draft outreach
Who touches itEvery recruiter — no training
PayoffHours back this week
Code — builds your recruiting tech itself
The winA sourcing → screening → scheduling pipeline that talks to your ATS and calendar
Who touches itOne owner builds it once; the team just runs it
PayoffA lower cost-per-hire this quarter
Cowork takes the busywork off your recruiters tomorrow. Code builds the autonomous pipeline that changes your cost-per-hire.
Sandhiya ThiruvengadamTalent Acquisition
What you get · by function 02 / 03

Head of People / People Ops

Outcomes that matter: employee experience · compliance · operational efficiency

Cowork — clears the admin backlog
The winTurn an engagement survey into a themed readout · reformat policy docs · prep a comp review
Who touches itHRBPs and ops coordinators
Risk postureSandboxed — approve what it sees
Code — automates the end-to-end process
The winAutomate a multi-step onboarding or compliance workflow end-to-end
Who touches itBuilt once, runs continuously
Risk postureFull access — power plus governance
Cowork handles the repetitive, low-judgment work your team drowns in. Code automates the multi-step processes no off-the-shelf tool covers.
Sandhiya ThiruvengadamPeople Ops
What you get · by function 03 / 03

Head of Talent Development

Outcomes that matter: capability building · learning · growth · internal mobility

Cowork — helps L&D produce faster
The winConvert a course transcript into a one-pager · draft learning content · map skills from job docs
Who touches itL&D designers and partners
PayoffContent velocity now
Code — builds the intelligence layer
The winBuild a skills-graph or a personalized learning-recommendation engine
Who touches itA technical product owner
PayoffA capability platform over time
Cowork makes your L&D team faster at producing. Code builds the engine that actually measures and grows capability across the org.
Sandhiya ThiruvengadamTalent Development
Reach-for-it in the moment

If you hear yourself say… reach for…

“I want my team to work faster on daily tasks.”Cowork
“I want to automate a multi-step workflow end-to-end.”Code
“I need my recruiters to process documents faster.”Cowork
“I need a custom agent that talks to several systems.”Code
“We want AI to help with admin work.”Cowork
“We want AI to fill gaps our tech stack can't.”Code
Sandhiya ThiruvengadamReach for it
The objection — handled

“But I don't want to build anything.”

You don't reach for Code because you're a builder. You reach for it because of the shape of the task — not your job title.

When it's big

Many files at once

Work that spans a whole folder, dataset, or repository — too much for a single chat window.

When it's autonomous

Set it running

Hand off a defined job, walk away, collect the finished result — exactly what Code on the web is for.

When it's deep

Heavy research

Multi-source research, large-scale analysis, or transformation — even with zero code being written.

Not a job title — a task shape. When the work is big, autonomous, or deep, the task itself tells you to reach for Code.
Sandhiya ThiruvengadamThe objection, handled
The punchline

You don't choose between them.

Cowork is where most of your team should start tomorrow.
Code is where your function goes when you stop buying tools and start building them.

Sandhiya ThiruvengadamThe punchline
Before you leave the room

Your three moves

1
Look at your last week
Name 3 tasks you'd hand to Cowork today. Write them down before you leave.
2
Find one big task
Spot one job that's big, autonomous, or deep — and delegate it to Code on the web this week.
3
Draw your line
Where does “use a tool” end and “build a capability” begin — and who owns each side?
Sandhiya ThiruvengadamYour three moves
Use it · delegate it · steer it

Use it tomorrow.
Build it this quarter.

Cowork scales your people. Code scales your function. Now you know which agent to reach for — when, and for whom.

Sandhiya Thiruvengadam
Sandhiya ThiruvengadamThank you
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