A Ballpoint course

Become AI Native: the Claude Code course for complete beginners

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.

Pick your format See what's inside

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.

8-week provisional start 1-day intensive in person: Clerkenwell, London Book the workshop for £600

The problem

You ask AI for help, rather than have AI do the work for you

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

Taught by a non-engineer founder, for non-engineer operators.

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

Eight weeks. Eight modules. By week eight, you'll be shipping internal tools.

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.

  1. 01

    Switching to Claude Code

    Terminal, IDE, your first folder, and the mental shift from chat to project.

  2. 02

    Prompt engineering for Claude Code, and specificity

    Why vague prompts and vague data both kill output.

  3. 03

    CLAUDE.md, folder hierarchy, and context engineering

    The persistent brain you build for Claude.

  4. 04

    MCPs and how Claude reaches your data

    APIs taught only as much as needed to debug a failing MCP.

  5. 05

    Building your first skill

    Turning a workflow you re-prompt every week into a named tool.

  6. 06

    Structured data and better workflow responses

    JSON, reading what Claude actually got back, verifying not vibing.

  7. 07

    Collaborating on GitHub, and directing bigger builds

    Diffs as the trust surface. Specs and acceptance criteria for anything beyond a single skill.

  8. 08

    Evals, trust, and getting the right results

    How you know your AI work is actually good, not just plausible.

How it works

A simple weekly rhythm.

1

Watch

A one-hour recorded video each week. Dense, no filler. Watch at your pace, rewatch as often as you need.

2

Experiment

You're using Claude Code yourself in the command line every week. Hands on, in your own work, not a toy example.

3

Discuss

A live seminar with the cohort. Walk through assignments, unstick each other, see how others approached the same problem.

Who this is for

Specific about the fit, so you don't waste money.

This is for you if

  • You run a business, a team, or a project and want to build without always hiring developers
  • You're comfortable with AI chatbots, and use Claude or ChatGPT on a daily basis
  • You're in a non-technical role
  • You've used Claude in chat and want to go much deeper
  • You're comfortable learning something that feels technical at first
  • You want to ship real things, not just understand concepts

This isn't for you if

  • You already code fluently. You'll be bored
  • You've already used Claude Code to build things
  • You want passive video content with no assignments
  • You're looking for a shortcut that doesn't involve doing the work
  • You expect to finish the course without shipping anything

What you'll be able to do

By the end of week eight.

  • Set up and run Claude Code confidently from your own terminal
  • Build and ship a real working tool for your business, end to end
  • Speak the same language as the engineers you work with
  • Keep building long after the course ends, without needing us

We've run this course internally. Here's what's been built as a result:

  • Client dashboards based on live data, without a data engineer
  • Automated creator outreach and management
  • 10x more data analysis per experiment

Book your spot

Pick your format and secure your place.

The 1-day workshop is an in-person day at our Clerkenwell, London office and is available to book in full now. The 8-week course and bundle are still reserve-first while we confirm cohort demand.

Format 1

1-day intensive

Join us in person at our Clerkenwell, London office and walk away with a Claude Code skill you've built that day.

£600 in full

Choose Friday 22 May or Friday 5 June at checkout

  • 7 hours in person at our Clerkenwell, London office, with Josh
  • Intros to coding, prompt engineering, and MCPs
  • We work together to ship a working Claude Code skill before you leave
  • Lunch and coffee included
  • Capped at 12 operators
Pay £600

Full workshop fee today. Pick one of the two available dates at checkout.

Most popular

Format 2

8-week course

Eight weeks. Eight modules. One shipped project.

£1,000 in full

Provisional start

  • 8 weekly 1-hour videos, lifetime access
  • 8 practical assignments with real deliverables
  • 8 live group seminars, recorded
  • Private cohort community
  • Direct feedback on your week 8 shipped project
  • Risk-free through week one, full refund if it's not for you
Reserve for £10

£10 today. The remaining £990 only if we confirm.

Best value

Format 3

The bundle

The 1-day intensive plus the 8-week course. Save £200.

£1,400 in full

Pick Friday 22 May or Friday 5 June at checkout. 8-week starts Wed 20 May 2026.

  • Everything in the 1-day intensive
  • Everything in the 8-week course
  • £200 off the combined price
  • Best for operators who want depth and momentum
Reserve for £10

£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

Answers to the obvious questions.

What does the £10 reserve actually do?

For the 8-week course and bundle, it holds your spot and tells us there's enough demand to commit. If we don't run the format, 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 workshop is different: you book it in full for £600 and choose either Friday 22 May 2026 or Friday 5 June 2026 at checkout.

What's the difference between the 1-day and the 8-week?

The 1-day intensive is an in-person workshop at our Clerkenwell, London office. It's 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.

Do I need any coding experience?

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.

How much time per week does this take?

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.

What if I fall behind?

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.

What exactly will I build by the end?

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.

What computer setup do I need?

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.

Is this just for tech businesses?

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.

What's your refund policy?

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.

When does the next cohort start?

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 is available on Friday 22 May 2026 and Friday 5 June 2026.

Stop watching the AI shift. Start shipping in it.

Book the 1-day workshop in full, or reserve one of the longer formats while we confirm cohort demand.

Pick your format

Provisional 8-week start . Fully refundable if we don't run it.

Got questions, or want a bespoke version for your team? Get in touch.