Build Something with Me this SpringThis spring, make it your job to start talking about AI and start building with it. I’ve got six Build First community events coming up over the next two months, ranging from free intro sessions to full-day build-a-thons, and I’d love to see you there. You can check out all upcoming events here: buildfirst.ai/events (And if you’ve got a network who might benefit from a Build First workshop or community event this spring or summer, give a shout at bethany@bui...

Build Something with Me this SpringThis spring, make it your job to start talking about AI and start building with it. I’ve got six Build First community events coming up over the next two months, ranging from free intro sessions to full-day build-a-thons, and I’d love to see you there. You can check out all upcoming events here: buildfirst.ai/events (And if you’ve got a network who might benefit from a Build First workshop or community event this spring or summer, give a shout at bethany@bui...

When the Snowstorm Arrived, Our Block Was ReadyThis weekend, New York City and much of the East Coast was hit by a mega blizzard that brought 19 inches of snow to Central Park.While beautiful, for many of us, this felt like an unwelcome do-over from January’s storm, which left cold, icy mounds of snow on the street for weeks. At a recent block meeting of The Manhattan 75, we spoke about how that first storm left many senior residents on our block stranded in their homes for longer than expect...

When the Snowstorm Arrived, Our Block Was ReadyThis weekend, New York City and much of the East Coast was hit by a mega blizzard that brought 19 inches of snow to Central Park.While beautiful, for many of us, this felt like an unwelcome do-over from January’s storm, which left cold, icy mounds of snow on the street for weeks. At a recent block meeting of The Manhattan 75, we spoke about how that first storm left many senior residents on our block stranded in their homes for longer than expect...

I had a pretty wild experience with AI this week where I asked Claude Code to simulate a conversation with…well…myself.That’s to say, myself, circa 2045. You see, present-day Bethany is stuck in the middle of the chaos zone. She’s walking the very exciting tightrope of Founder Mode: Season 2. She’s building things, she’s breaking things, and she’s (often) awake at 3 a.m., wondering about what the hell to do about it. But future Bethany? She’s got life on lock. And not only that… but she knows...

I had a pretty wild experience with AI this week where I asked Claude Code to simulate a conversation with…well…myself.That’s to say, myself, circa 2045. You see, present-day Bethany is stuck in the middle of the chaos zone. She’s walking the very exciting tightrope of Founder Mode: Season 2. She’s building things, she’s breaking things, and she’s (often) awake at 3 a.m., wondering about what the hell to do about it. But future Bethany? She’s got life on lock. And not only that… but she knows...

Over the past year, we’ve trained 1,000+ people in AI through Build First workshops and hackathons. After almost every session, the same question came up: “This was great. But I have this specific thing I’ve been wanting to build for my company or business. How do I actually build that?” At first, we said no, Build First isn’t an outsourced dev shop. But around the same time, I noticed something else happening. More friends (operators, founders, even educators) started opting out of full-time...

Over the past year, we’ve trained 1,000+ people in AI through Build First workshops and hackathons. After almost every session, the same question came up: “This was great. But I have this specific thing I’ve been wanting to build for my company or business. How do I actually build that?” At first, we said no, Build First isn’t an outsourced dev shop. But around the same time, I noticed something else happening. More friends (operators, founders, even educators) started opting out of full-time...

It is February 2026, and we are once again in a moment of reckoning about how the world gets built.This time, the catalyst is artificial intelligence. Tools once gated by capital and engineering degrees are now open to anyone willing to learn in public and tolerate the inevitable growing pains. This moment feels different because the gates are finally open for anyone to build. But participating requires a deeper understanding of how ideas move from whiteboards to boardrooms. I’ve spent the la...

It is February 2026, and we are once again in a moment of reckoning about how the world gets built.This time, the catalyst is artificial intelligence. Tools once gated by capital and engineering degrees are now open to anyone willing to learn in public and tolerate the inevitable growing pains. This moment feels different because the gates are finally open for anyone to build. But participating requires a deeper understanding of how ideas move from whiteboards to boardrooms. I’ve spent the la...

Skip the Tour of the KitchenI’ve started getting a very specific kind of request when companies ask for AI 101 trainings. The questions usually sound like this:“Which LLM (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini) and models should we use for each task?”“What’s the best tool for image generation? Video creation? Slide deck creation?”“What are all of the ways you can use this particular tool?”While these are practical questions, leading with a tools-first mindset is like teaching someone how to make a quiche b...

Skip the Tour of the KitchenI’ve started getting a very specific kind of request when companies ask for AI 101 trainings. The questions usually sound like this:“Which LLM (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini) and models should we use for each task?”“What’s the best tool for image generation? Video creation? Slide deck creation?”“What are all of the ways you can use this particular tool?”While these are practical questions, leading with a tools-first mindset is like teaching someone how to make a quiche b...

A Blizzard in our Living RoomEver since the big snowstorm in New York City, we’ve been living in an apartment that’s been leaking through the ceiling of two rooms. This is what the ceiling of our dining room looks like right now.It looks worse than it actually is… but as you can tell… still not great.On its worst day, we had 4 simultaneous buckets collecting water, which we had to empty continually throughout the day. The damage from that one day has left widespread stains and peeling plaster...

A Blizzard in our Living RoomEver since the big snowstorm in New York City, we’ve been living in an apartment that’s been leaking through the ceiling of two rooms. This is what the ceiling of our dining room looks like right now.It looks worse than it actually is… but as you can tell… still not great.On its worst day, we had 4 simultaneous buckets collecting water, which we had to empty continually throughout the day. The damage from that one day has left widespread stains and peeling plaster...

Flipping the ClassroomFor over a decade, I have been straddling two unique networks with most of my work: education and emerging tech. Typically, my assumed role has been to help the educators in my network learn about technology, and to help the technologists in my network build cool stuff. But something strange has started to happen. This year, the educators in my network all want to build. And the technologists in my network all want to learn. While I know some of my educator friends may c...

Flipping the ClassroomFor over a decade, I have been straddling two unique networks with most of my work: education and emerging tech. Typically, my assumed role has been to help the educators in my network learn about technology, and to help the technologists in my network build cool stuff. But something strange has started to happen. This year, the educators in my network all want to build. And the technologists in my network all want to learn. While I know some of my educator friends may c...

An AI Medical Miracle, Or Just Human Will?One year ago, ChatGPT urged me to go to the hospital for what turned out to be a life-threatening bleeding risk. I have since written and spoken out a lot about how ChatGPT has saved my life and was even just included in this story from NPR about how people use AI in medical emergencies. But revisiting that original conversation recently forced me to confront something uncomfortable: This wasn’t a miracle. It was persistence. And that distinction matt...

An AI Medical Miracle, Or Just Human Will?One year ago, ChatGPT urged me to go to the hospital for what turned out to be a life-threatening bleeding risk. I have since written and spoken out a lot about how ChatGPT has saved my life and was even just included in this story from NPR about how people use AI in medical emergencies. But revisiting that original conversation recently forced me to confront something uncomfortable: This wasn’t a miracle. It was persistence. And that distinction matt...

The TrapThe myth goes a little like this: “The only way to succeed in the tech industry is to have a billion-dollar business idea or attach yourself to someone else’s billion-dollar idea.” Despite a 15-year career in tech (including several at-bats at attaching myself to billion-dollar ideas), this has never exactly played out the way I thought it might. As it turns out, billion-dollar businesses are rare, complicated, and yes, even impermanent. Even if you’re lucky enough to land in the prox...

The TrapThe myth goes a little like this: “The only way to succeed in the tech industry is to have a billion-dollar business idea or attach yourself to someone else’s billion-dollar idea.” Despite a 15-year career in tech (including several at-bats at attaching myself to billion-dollar ideas), this has never exactly played out the way I thought it might. As it turns out, billion-dollar businesses are rare, complicated, and yes, even impermanent. Even if you’re lucky enough to land in the prox...