Lesson 1 - Step 1 of 5

What is MCP?

Understand the Model Context Protocol and why it matters for AI applications.

The Problem MCP Solves

Imagine you're building an AI assistant that needs to access your files, query a database, or call an API. Before MCP, every AI application had to build custom integrations for each data source. This led to:

  • Fragmented ecosystems — Each AI tool had its own plugin system
  • Duplicated effort — Developers rebuilt the same integrations repeatedly
  • Limited interoperability — Integrations for one AI couldn't work with another
The USB-C Analogy

Think of MCP as USB-C for AI applications. Just as USB-C provides a universal standard for connecting devices, MCP provides a universal standard for connecting AI models to external tools and data sources.

What is the Model Context Protocol?

MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an open standard that defines how AI applications communicate with external systems. It was developed by Anthropic and released as an open-source specification.

With MCP, you can:

  • Build one server that works with any MCP-compatible AI client
  • Expose tools that AI models can call (like functions)
  • Provide resources that give AI models contextual data
  • Define prompts that guide how AI interacts with your system

Real-World Examples

Here's what you can build with MCP:

MCP Server What It Does
File System Server Let AI read, search, and analyze files on your computer
Database Server Allow AI to query SQLite, PostgreSQL, or other databases
GitHub Server Give AI access to repositories, PRs, and issues
Slack Server Enable AI to read and send Slack messages
Memory Server Provide AI with persistent memory across conversations

Who Uses MCP?

MCP is supported by major AI applications:

  • Claude Desktop — Anthropic's desktop app for Claude
  • Claude Code — Anthropic's CLI coding assistant
  • Cursor — AI-powered code editor
  • Zed — High-performance code editor
  • Sourcegraph Cody — AI coding assistant
  • And many more...
Build Once, Use Everywhere

When you build an MCP server, it automatically works with all these clients. You don't need to build separate integrations for each one.

What You'll Build in This Course

By the end of this course, you'll have built a complete MCP server from scratch using Python's standard library. You'll understand:

  • How the MCP protocol works at a low level
  • How to implement tools, resources, and prompts
  • How to handle both STDIO and HTTP transports
  • How to test your server with Claude Desktop

Let's dive into the architecture!