GDG Yale - AI Build Jam
Build the idea you have been planning. There is no topic this session.
The version everyone leaves with.
Write a one-paragraph description of what you are building before you start.
Things worth deciding early.
- 1Describe the application in three sentences. If you cannot, reduce the scope.
- 2Build one flow and one screen.
- 3Reuse approaches from earlier sessions.
What the at-home build adds.
- →An idea you have described to someone but have not started
- →A tool that solves a problem you have
- →A version of an application you use
- →An idea from an earlier session that you did not finish
Two tools. Two very different afternoons.
Neither is the beginner option. It comes down to what's already on your laptop, and whether you want a desktop IDE at all. Four questions, then bring the one that fits.
Already know which one you want?
What's on the laptop you'll bring?
Two hours, four movements.
- 0:00 – 0:15Intro
Grab a name tag and a slice, say hello to the instructor, and meet the people either side of you — you'll be asking them things later, so it pays to know their names now. Low pressure, high creativity, ship something messy. Then a quick word on what the room is building tonight, and you're off.
- 0:15 – 0:30Credits & setup
The instructor shares the Google Cloud credits with the room. Everyone gets their environment ready — whichever tool they brought. Nobody should be installing anything once the build starts.
- 0:30 – 1:35Build
Heads down, and enjoy it — this is the part everyone came for. The agent does the typing; you decide what it's making. Ask the room when you get stuck; someone two seats away hit the same wall ten minutes ago. Want more structure? The codelab walks the spec-driven route — Setup → Plan → Review → Build → API → Verify — but nobody has to follow it.
- 1:35 – 2:00Share & submit
Show the room what you made — two minutes, screen-shared from your seat. Half-finished is welcome; the wobbly ones are usually the most interesting. Say what surprised you along the way, and cheer for everyone else while you're at it. Then submit your build before you leave. This is the one thing not to skip — it's what puts your name and your chapter on the showcase, and it takes about two minutes.
Nothing yet.
Builds submitted through this page show up here, credited to Zoe Zhang.
Built something at this jam?
Put it on the showcase. It takes two minutes, half-finished is welcome, and your build is credited to this jam automatically.