Software Crafters Newcastle – "Sharpen the Axe" with AI

"Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe"

Good crafters take time to choose, improve and care for their tools. This month, we're setting aside our usual coding kata to do the same for the tools we use as developers.

This is a collaborative, hands-on session to work on something that makes your everyday workflow easier. Perhaps there's a repetitive task you'd like to automate, information scattered across services you'd like to bring together, or a small app that would help you work the way you want to. Bring an idea, or find one through conversations on the night.

We'll explore how AI can help us build personal tools that fit our own workflows, and discuss how to choose and maintain the tools we rely on. What makes a tool worth adopting? When does it make sense to build your own? And how do you keep it useful as your needs change?

Then we'll spend time building and experimenting. You're welcome to use AI, write code yourself, or pair up with someone else. Use whichever language and tools suit you. The goal is to learn from each other and make progress on something useful, with no pressure to finish.

A basic knowledge of programming is recommended, but you don't need to be an expert. Bring your laptop and a little friction from your working day that you'd like to fix.

Food and drinks will be provided, with vegetarian and vegan options available.