In the AI era, run face2face workshops
Early stage startup founders LOVE to hide behind their Macbook’s screens instead of talking to users. Here’s one thing you can do this week to get out of the house and talk to users: Run workshops.
You know that feeling when you’re so deep into a tech that you could talk about it for hours? Yeah….
So, I figured, why not actually do it?
I decided to stop for a second focusing on the code and just delpoying it…
instead running workshops on the tech my startup is built on, and honestly, it’s been great for many reasons:
Toolhouse isn’t just a slide in the deck or an large poster in a room ; it’s the main event now. I built a whole workshop right around it.
People get to see what it can do in real-time, solving a problem they actually have.
It’s not a sales pitch because we’re DELIVERING real value: a hands-on solution.
The best part is that a lot of people go like “wow, I need this” moments happen right there. in the room…
The folks who sign up for my workshop, some of them are my ideal customers: developers or vibecoders that want to write AGENTS.
During the workshop I ask “Raise your hands if you always wanted to do
Some people raise their hands to say “I’m interested in this!”.
I just pay attention.
🤑 The person asking a ton of smart questions? That’s a lead.
💰The one struggling with a process my platform automates? That’s a user, maybe a lead.
The room is basically a focus group and a lead list rolled into one.
The feedback you get is INSANE. I find 1 new bug every time I run a workshop. 100% worth my time, here’s why from experience:
If you’re sending emails to get user feedback: You’re a fish out of water, people hate emails these days.
If you’re sending surveys out: Forget waiting for survey responses. This bypasses it.
In the AI world: that doesn’t work as well anymore, people are getting flooded daily with such messages
In person, however, it’s a whole different dance. I get feedback on the spot: I can see where people get stuck, what features make their eyes glow up, and what they wish my platform could do (if it doesn’t).
It’s raw, it’s HONEST, and it’s helped me understand what needs to happen to make more users happy, and getting more LEADS.
When you wrap up a workshop, you’re actually just at end of step 1 of …5
I hit up everyone afterward with a “Hey, thanks for coming!” email, along with slides and a link to keep playing with the platform. I use my personal work GMAIL account to do that, no fancy email needed. (Use Multi-Send)
My goal is to be their go-to helper, which eventually and naturally turns them into happy users.
For the people who were super engaged I go for the direct approach. I’ll shoot them a personal note like after getting them added on LinkedIn:
“Loved your questions today! Sounds like you’re working on something cool. Got 15 minutes next week to chat about anything I can do to help you build your next AI Agent?”
It’s not a cold message - it’s a warm conversation waiting to happen.
Seriously, if you’re a founder start teaching. You’ll get leads, feedback, and users. Trust me bros.