Give the model a filesystem, not a blank chat
A lot of people still open a blank chat, paste in context, ask a question, and start over next time. That works, but it forces the model to rebuild its understanding in every session.
Tools with filesystem access can list directories, read files, search across them, follow links, and work out where the useful context lives. This works outside code too. A well-organized folder can become a map of the work.
Small markdown files can provide project context, constraints, preferences, examples, and links to deeper material. What belongs in those files and how they stay current require judgment, but the starting point is simple: point the model at a real body of work instead of an empty box.