The Build Lab
Built not bought.A two-week cohort where non-engineers learn to build and ship AI products. You leave with a live project and the skills to build the next one yourself.
Sound familiar?
You want to build, but you can't code
You have product ideas but always need a developer to make them real
Every idea you have dies in a brief or a slide deck. You can see the product in your head but you can't make it exist. So you pitch it to an engineering team, wait six months, and by the time it ships, it's not what you imagined.
You've tried no-code tools but the results always feel limited
Webflow, Bubble, Notion. They get you 60% of the way there and then hit a wall. You end up with something that looks like a template and works like a compromise. You want to build real things, not drag-and-drop approximations.
You know AI is changing how products get built but you don't know where to start
You've seen the demos on LinkedIn. Someone builds an app in 10 minutes using AI. But when you sit down to try it yourself, you don't know what tools to use, what to say to the AI, or how to go from a prompt to a live product. The gap between the demo and the reality feels enormous.
You're a strategist who's tired of only making decks
You can think. You can write. You can structure an argument. But you've never been able to build. The Build Lab teaches strategists to do what developers do: ship real, working products. Your strategic brain is an asset here, not a limitation.
What you'll learn to build
From zero to shipped in two weeks
Every participant leaves with a live product and the skills to build more.
Your own AI product
A live, deployed product that does something real. Not a prototype. Not a wireframe. A working thing with a URL you can share.
the whole pointClaude Code fluency
You'll learn to use Claude Code to build full-stack products from natural language. The same tool and workflow behind 24 live products.
A deployment workflow
Git, Netlify, custom domains, SSL. You'll know how to take something from your laptop to the live internet in minutes.
Product thinking
How to scope, prioritise, and ship. When to add features and when to stop. The strategic brain you already have, applied to building.
A repeatable system
Templates, prompts, workflows, and project structures you can reuse for every product you build after this one.
Confidence
The knowledge that you can take an idea and make it real without waiting for permission, budget, or an engineering team.
this changes everythingHow it works
This is what building looks like
An idea becomes a live product in a single session.
Who is The Build Lab for?
This is for you if
- You're a marketer, strategist, or founder with product ideas
- You've never written code but want to build things
- You're tired of waiting for developers to make your vision real
- You want to add "builder" to your skillset
- You learn best by doing, not watching tutorials
This isn't for you if
- You're already a developer looking to learn AI tools
- You want someone to build your product for you
- You're looking for a passive online course
- You don't have 2 weeks to commit to the programme
Investment
Two ways in
Both get you building. One gets you a community, the other gets you me.
- Two weeks of structured, hands-on building
- Small group (max 12 people)
- Daily sessions with live demos and pair-building
- Claude Code setup and workflow training
- Deployment pipeline from day one
- Templates, prompts, and project structures
- You ship a live product by the end
- Post-cohort community access
- Full day, 1:1 with Mike
- We build your product idea together
- Claude Code setup and personalised workflows
- You choose what we build
- Deployed and live by end of day
- All templates, prompts, and source code
- 30-day follow-up support
Why learn from me?
I'm Mike Litman. I spent 15+ years as a strategist at agencies like R/GA, MediaMonks, Contagious, and Poke, working with Nike, Google, Netflix, and Gucci.
In September 2025, I started building AI products. Four months later, I had 25+ live products. No engineering team. No venture capital. Just Claude Code and the strategic instinct that comes from a career in advertising.
I didn't learn to code. I learned to build. There's a difference.
The Build Lab is everything I wish someone had taught me on day one. The tools, the workflows, the mindset. Compressed into two weeks so you don't have to spend months figuring it out alone.
Questions
Do I need any technical experience?
No. The Build Lab is designed for non-engineers. If you can write a brief, you can learn to build a product. The tools we use translate natural language into working code.
What will I actually build?
A real, live product with a URL. What it is depends on you. Past ideas from strategists include portfolio sites, data dashboards, directory guides, newsletter engines, and internal tools. We'll scope your idea together on day one.
What tools do I need?
A laptop and a Claude Pro subscription (£18/month). That's it. We'll set up everything else together on day one, including Claude Code, GitHub, and Netlify.
How much time does the cohort require?
Expect 2 to 3 hours per day over two weeks. Sessions are live and interactive. The rest of the time is building, with support available throughout.
What's the difference between the cohort and Build With Me Day?
The cohort is a structured programme where you learn the full workflow alongside others. Build With Me Day is intensive 1:1 time where we build your specific product together in a single day. The cohort teaches you to fish. Build With Me Day gets a specific fish on the table, fast.
When does the next cohort start?
Register your interest and I'll let you know as soon as dates are confirmed. Build With Me Days can be booked any time.
Ready to build?
Register your interest. First cohort launching soon.
Register interest 25+ products. 4 months. Your turn.