MCP: the USB-C of AI

Model Context Protocol (MCP) is the plug standard for AI. Anthropic proposed it in late 2024; by 2026 every major AI app supports it. If you learn one interoperability layer, learn this one.

What MCP actually is

MCP is an open protocol for connecting AI applications ("clients") to data sources and tools ("servers"). Think of it like USB-C: any compliant server plugs into any compliant client.

What an MCP server exposes

• Tools — actions the client can call (like function calling, but standardized).
• Resources — data the client can read (files, database rows, docs).
• Prompts — reusable prompt templates that any client can list and invoke.

MCP servers worth knowing about

Install your first MCP server (2 minutes)

In Claude Desktop, edit ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json:

JSON{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem",
        "/Users/you/business-docs"
      ]
    },
    "github": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"],
      "env": { "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "ghp_yourtoken" }
    }
  }
}

Restart Claude Desktop. You now have file-system and GitHub tools inside every conversation.

Writing your own MCP server (skeleton)

Python · MCP SDKfrom mcp.server.fastmcp import FastMCP

mcp = FastMCP("my-business-tools")

@mcp.tool()
def estimate_project(scope: str, pages: int) -> dict:
    """Estimate cost + timeline for a web project.

    Args:
        scope: high-level description of the work
        pages: number of unique page templates

    Returns: dict with low_usd, high_usd, weeks
    """
    base = 4000 + pages * 1200
    return {
        "low_usd": base,
        "high_usd": int(base * 1.6),
        "weeks": max(3, pages // 2),
    }

if __name__ == "__main__":
    mcp.run()

Add it to claude_desktop_config.json and Claude can now call estimate_project in any conversation. Same server plugs into Cursor, Windsurf, or any MCP-aware client with zero changes.