Introduction & Open Build.
Objective
Set the culture. Establish the format. Answer the question: why should non-developers care about AI tools?
This was the session that started it all. We agreed on one rule: one hour a week, we sit together and learn AI by doing AI.
Key Concepts
The Format
Open dialogue, not lectures. Bring a problem, bring a question, or just work alongside the group.
One hour per week. Every Thursday, 5-6 PM. Come every week. If the time doesn't work, we change it together.
Bring a project. A small problem, a use case, a question. If you don't have one, Nihaan will have one ready.
Markdown — The Universal AI Format
Markdown (.md) files are like a compressed language for AI. When you give AI a Word document, it has to work hard to understand the formatting. When you give it Markdown, it reads 10x faster and misses nothing. It's like giving someone a clean, organised notebook instead of a messy stack of papers.
Skills — Teaching AI Your Expertise
A skill file is domain knowledge captured in Markdown. CSR rules, grant lifecycle, dashboard specs — your expertise, written once and reused forever.
Without skills, you explain the same things every conversation. With skills, your AI starts every conversation already knowing your domain.
Token Efficiency
Every wasted token is a thought that never happened. Tokens are the currency of AI. Wasting them means shorter, less useful conversations. Skills, Markdown, and good prompts all save tokens.
Tools Overview
Claude UIThinking, drafting, brainstorming. User-friendly. Best for conversations.Claude CodeTerminal-based. Multi-file code work, parallel tasks, integrations. Requires setup.CodexOpenAI's coding tool. Good for Python scripts and second opinions.ChatGPTStrong complex reasoning (GPT-5). Good for breaking down requirements.Model Guide
Opus — deep thinking, complex tasks, starting from a blank slate. Thorough but uses more tokens.
Sonnet — when you know exactly what you want. Faster, cheaper. Developers' favourite.
Haiku — very short tasks. Generally for developer agents. Not for our use cases yet.
Always use Extended mode. It does not use extra tokens. It lets AI double-check its work before answering. There is no downside. Make it a habit.
Key Decisions
AI is in trial phase. No deadlines, no mandates. Explore, experiment, share what works.
One hour per week is the only ask. Consistent but not demanding.
Share your learnings. When you discover something, share it so others benefit.
Further Reading
Learn the format that makes AI 10x more efficient. 5-minute read.
Free course for non-technical people. What AI can do and how to work with it. 6 hours.