From Idea to Deployed Prototype
AI Builder Workshop: From Idea to Deployed Prototype
Part of Colab's Builders Series
Product and design work has changed. The gap between having an idea and a working prototype has collapsed — and PMs and designers who can operate AI code agents as their execution layer are moving faster than anyone waiting on engineering time.
In this hands-on, 2-hour session, you'll take one real idea from your own product — something you've sketched, mocked, or pitched but never had build time for — and turn it into a deployed, shareable prototype. We'll trace how vibe coding evolved from the consumer app builders of 2025 to where we are now, then get into practice: converting your idea into a lightweight brief, running it through a build loop with an AI agent, making one deliberate redirect along the way, and shipping it to a live link.
You'll leave knowing how to define success for a prototype — the hypothesis it tests, the decision it unlocks, and the point where an engineer takes over. This isn't about shipping production code. It's about validation happening in days, not quarters.
Expect a fast pace, real building, and live pitching at the end, where a few participants are picked at random to show what they built.
Come prepared:
Bring one real feature or workflow idea from your product
Install and log into an AI build tool beforehand (Claude Code, Cursor, or a browser tool like Lovable or v0) — we're building, not troubleshooting installs
A note on the $20 ticket: All proceeds go to charity. We charge this small amount to make sure folks turn up and so we can prep for the most impactful workshop possible.
Thank you to our sponsors
Pendo (pendo.io) — for sponsoring this event and providing catering Auror (auror.co) — for the awesome venue
Who's leading this session?
John Bowker is a Colab partner and lead instructor, levelling up product teams at home in New Zealand and globally. He's Director of Product at Auror.
John has had a varied product and engineering career across gaming and SaaS for over 20 years — from building online gaming experiences to delivering platforms for small businesses at scale. He's experienced heaps and learnt much about how to do product execution and delivery, both rightly and wrongly.