"I don't think I've typed a line of code probably since December… A single builder with the right tooling can move faster than a traditional team."
Good idea + team of 10 + $500K
= maybe a prototype in 6 months
Good idea + one person + AI
= working product in a weekend
The barrier to building has collapsed. The barrier to thinking clearly about what to build hasn't.
Use AI as a tool — research markets, draft business models, analyze competitors, prototype products.
AI is your analyst, your copywriter, your junior developer — all at once.
The act of building with AI teaches you — forces clearer thinking, surfaces hidden assumptions, reveals what you don't know.
You don't just get a deliverable. You get sharper judgment.
These are projects I built — while teaching full-time — using AI tools:
AI-powered scavenger hunt platform used by 200+ students. Built from my BADM 372 entrepreneurship course.
Full web appOpen-source tool that connects AI to Canvas LMS. Used by educators worldwide — 90+ GitHub stars.
Open source toolStudent-run lab building AI agents for education. Students ship real products, not just papers.
Student ventureAI teaching assistant for 400+ students in BADM 554. Handles Q&A, drip campaigns, peer review nudges.
AI assistant"Help me write a business model for my startup"
Generic advice. Could apply to any startup. Waste of time.
"Here's our venture pitch [uploaded], our market analysis [uploaded], and our customer interviews [pasted]. Challenge our business model."
Specific, actionable, tailored to YOUR venture. This is the unlock.
Setup (30 seconds): Open an Incognito window (Ctrl+Shift+N / Cmd+Shift+N) → go to aistudio.google.com → sign in with your personal Gmail (not @illinois.edu)
AI Studio is free — no credit card, no waitlist, no app to install.
Upload your Asgmt 1-3 slides. Ask AI to find your weakest assumptions and strongest angles.
Have AI draft the 6 building blocks of your business model — then tell you where you're weakest.
AI writes a Product Brief from your chat. Copy it to the Build tab. Watch your landing page appear. Extra credit eligible.
Each round: paste the prompt → have a conversation → write down one insight that changes your plan
Step 1: Upload your Asgmt 1-3 slides (venture selection, market analysis, lean startup/MVP)
Step 2: Paste this prompt:
10 min — Push back on what the AI says. Ask "why?" at least twice. Write down the one assumption that surprised you.
Continue the same conversation. Paste this next:
10 min — This maps directly to your Assignment 4 (due April 8). Challenge the AI's suggestions — your judgment is what makes this yours.
Same conversation. Now we distill everything into a brief you can build from:
5 min — Review the brief. Does the headline land? Does it sound like your venture? Edit anything that feels off.
This is a digital prototype — it counts toward your 5% extra credit.
Chat → Brief → Build → Share
30 minutes ago you had an idea.
Now you have a live prototype
anyone can click and see.
"AI won't replace entrepreneurs. But an entrepreneur who knows how to direct AI will outpace one who doesn't."
Download the app. Drag in your files. Brainstorm, write, analyze — all on your laptop, all private.
claude.ai/downloadDesktop app for building with AI. Reads your files, writes code, builds prototypes. Your on-device co-founder.
openai.com/codexAI tools get powerful when you connect them to your data. The next frontier:
Today: AI as advisor. Next: AI as teammate.
You already have a venture. Now you have a co-founder that never sleeps.