Launchpad AI: Using AI to Go from Idea to First Customer in 6 Weeks 💻
Stop Waiting. Start Building.
💭 Got an idea for a business, app, product, or project — but not sure how to actually build it?
🤔 Feel like you’re stuck at “this could be good” and don’t know what comes next?
This 3-part practical workshop is designed for student entrepreneurs who want to stop overthinking and start creating something real.
From House Parties to a Recognised Brand 🍺
In 2011, two University of Manchester students started selling homebrew beer at house parties.
No funding. No business plan. No experience.
That small experiment became ShinDigger Brewing Co., now one of Manchester’s most recognised craft beer brands.
Fourteen years later, co-founder Paul Delamere is back where it all began — with a simple message:
💡 This is a golden age of student entrepreneurship.
The tools available today mean what once took years can now be done faster, cheaper, and with far fewer barriers.
That feeling of “I’ve got a great idea but I can’t build it”?
It no longer applies.
What You’ll Do
Over three hands-on, practical sessions, Paul will guide you from a rough idea to a working product, a credible brand, and your first customer — all using AI tools that are free or nearly free and require zero coding experience.
Workshop 1: Idea to Prototype
🔍 Refine your concept using AI
🛠️ Build a working demo in a single session
💡 Leave with something you can actually show people
Workshop 2: Make It Real
🎨 Create a brand identity
🌐 Build a website
📣 Develop marketing materials that make your idea feel like a real business
Workshop 3: First Customer
🎯 Learn how to pitch your product
🗣️ Approach real people with confidence
✅ Get your first customer — the hardest and most important step in entrepreneurship
What This Workshop Is (and Isn’t)
This is a practical introduction to building a real business using the most powerful tools student entrepreneurs have ever had access to.
There’s no theory-heavy lectures, no complicated tech, and no prior experience needed.
🧑💻 Just bring:
A laptop
An idea
The willingness to experiment and learn by doing
Ready to build instead of just imagine?
This workshop will give you clarity, momentum, and the confidence to take your idea into the real world — faster than you might think.
Prizes
£1,000 prize for the winner, plus software perks for the top three.
Dates + Times
Workshop 1: Wednesday April 22nd 2-4pm Uni Place
Workshop 2: Wednesday May 6th 2-4pm Uni Place
Workshop 3: Wednesday May 20th 2-4pm AMBS
Cohort Mixer: Wednesday May 20th 4-5pm AMBS