A Ballpoint course
For operators, founders and non-engineers who want to become AI native, not just chat with Claude. Pick an 8-week deep course or a 1-day intensive.
Built and taught inside Ballpoint. Since becoming AI native we're shipping two tools per week, each saving one to ten hours of time a week.
The problem
You're comfortable asking ChatGPT or Claude how to help you do tasks. Maybe you've got an automation in Notion AI.
You're seeing every influencer share workflows that supposedly let you run a £100m business with one person, if you just comment "Agent".
You feel overwhelmed by where to start, and you haven't found the time to get going.
You don't need to learn to code. You need to learn how to build, automate, and ship with AI. It's a different skill, and it's entirely teachable.
Who's teaching
I'm Josh. I run Ballpoint, a creative growth agency for DTC and ecommerce brands. I'm not a software engineer. I've never written a line of production code in my life.
At the start of 2026, I started investing three hours a day, seven days a week, experimenting with Claude Code. In March, I sent an internal memo declaring we were pivoting to become AI native. We've been running hours of training internally ever since. We're now automating workflows, shipping internal tools, and building our first client-facing products.
Since I started writing about this, I get asked almost daily if we're providing training or upskilling. This course is the answer.
This is very specifically for non-engineers. You need someone who's walked through this journey from your perspective.
What's inside
Each week you get a tutorial video, a practical assignment, and a live seminar with the cohort. Expect three hours of homework per week, alongside your seminar.
Terminal, IDE, your first folder, and the mental shift from chat to project.
Why vague prompts and vague data both kill output.
The persistent brain you build for Claude.
APIs taught only as much as needed to debug a failing MCP.
Turning a workflow you re-prompt every week into a named tool.
JSON, reading what Claude actually got back, verifying not vibing.
Diffs as the trust surface. Specs and acceptance criteria for anything beyond a single skill.
How you know your AI work is actually good, not just plausible.
How it works
A one-hour recorded video each week. Dense, no filler. Watch at your pace, rewatch as often as you need.
You're using Claude Code yourself in the command line every week. Hands on, in your own work, not a toy example.
A live seminar with the cohort. Walk through assignments, unstick each other, see how others approached the same problem.
Who this is for
What you'll be able to do
We've run this course internally. Here's what's been built as a result:
Reserve your spot
We're gauging demand for these courses before we set them in stone. Reserve for £10 today. We'll only run each format once we hit the minimum number of reserves. Your £10 is fully refundable if it doesn't go ahead, and credited to your fee if it does.
Format 1
Walk away with a Claude Code skill you've built that day.
£600 in full
Choose Fri 8 May, Fri 22 May, or 'either' at checkout
£10 today. The remaining £590 only if we confirm.
Format 2
Eight weeks. Eight modules. One shipped project.
£1,000 in full
Provisional start
£10 today. The remaining £990 only if we confirm.
Format 3
The 1-day intensive plus the 8-week course. Save £200.
£1,400 in full
Pick your 1-day date at checkout. 8-week starts Wed 20 May 2026.
£10 today. The remaining £1,390 only if we confirm.
The maths on the 8-week course
Hiring a developer for a simple internal tool
£5,000 to £15,000
Opportunity cost of months spent self-teaching
£20,000+
This course, and you ship in week 8
£1,000
The first internal tool you ship more than pays for the course.
FAQ
It holds your spot and tells us there's enough demand to commit. We'll only run each format once we hit a minimum number of reserves. If we don't run it, we refund the £10 in full. If we do run it, the £10 is credited toward your fee, so you pay the remainder before the course starts.
The 1-day intensive is great if you want a more conversational approach to learning, where you can chat through all the different aspects throughout the day. You'll learn less theory and get pushed straight into the deep end. It gives you a good grounding, and you walk away with a skill you've built.
The 8-week course is online and goes much deeper. You ship real working tools for your business by the end of it. Good if you want lasting fluency, not just a taste.
The bundle is both. Spend the day in person to get going, then go deep over the eight weeks that follow.
No. The whole point of this course is that you don't need to code. If you already code fluently, this isn't for you. If you've never touched a terminal, that's fine, week one gets you comfortable.
Plan for about four hours a week. One hour for the video, one for the live seminar, and two for the assignment. You can do more if you want to go deeper, and you probably will once you get going.
Everything is recorded. Seminars are recorded. Videos are lifetime access. Most cohorts have at least one busy week for someone, and people catch up the following week. You'll be fine.
Something real, from your own business or your own life. By week eight you'll have shipped a working tool you actually use. We'll help you pick a project in week one that's genuinely useful, not a toy.
A laptop running macOS, Windows, or Linux. Claude Code works on all three. You'll need a Claude subscription (around £20 a month) to follow along, but that's separate from the course fee.
No. We've seen people from agencies, retail, finance, consulting, and creative studios benefit. If your work involves data, reporting, or repeatable tasks, you'll find plenty to build.
Complete week one, including the assignment. If you then decide it's not for you, email us within seven days and we'll refund the full £1,000. No paperwork, no hassle.
The 8-week course has a provisional start of . Seats are capped at . We'll confirm the date once we hit minimum reserves. The 1-day intensive doesn't have a fixed date yet, we'll set it once enough people have reserved a spot.
Reserve a spot for £10 and tell us which format you want. We'll only run each one once enough people have reserved. You'll either be on the course you wanted, or back to where you started with a refund.
Reserve your spot for £10Provisional 8-week start . Fully refundable if we don't run it.
Got questions, or want a bespoke version for your team? Get in touch.