AI Bootcamp

Solve one real problem in your business with AI, and learn how to solve the next one yourself.

Claude Code is an AI assistant that can draft documents, research a topic, check work and build small software tools. Over eight Monday evenings, you will set Claude up to do that work the way you want it done. You decide which files Claude can read and which actions Claude can take. You will work in a terminal window, which is a plain text screen where you tell Claude what you want in everyday English. Claude does the typing of any code, so you don't need to know how to code.

Next cohort starts Monday 7 December

The AI Bootcamp is for business leaders, and you need no coding experience. Sessions run on Monday evenings from 19:30 to 21:30 SAST. Each cohort has 12 seats, and you can add an optional one-to-one session with Stephan.

Reserve a seat See the sessions

What you'll have after the AI Bootcamp

You will leave with five things, and you can check each one for yourself on the last evening of the AI Bootcamp.

A Claude that knows your organisation

Claude will know your writing voice, your house rules, your stakeholders and the claims your organisation must never make. You write these down once, and Claude uses them every time.

One real problem solved

By the last evening, the tool you built is working in your own job and doing a real piece of your work.

A routine for checking Claude's work

You will know which decisions need your judgement and which checks a machine should run every single time. You write the routine down and keep using it.

Your repeated jobs, made reusable

Two or three of the jobs you do over and over become tools that run the same way every time.

Boundaries you set for Claude

You decide what Claude may do without you, what needs your check first, and what must never happen unattended.

Reserve a seat Next cohort starts Monday 7 December

The AI Bootcamp sessions

The AI Bootcamp is eight group evenings, plus an optional one-to-one session with me.

The eight group evenings run online on Mondays from 19:30 to 21:30 SAST. Each cohort has twelve people, and every session is recorded. The kick-off is before the December break, and the other seven sessions run weekly from 11 January. If you add the one-to-one session, you get two hours with me at any time before the third session, to define your project and set up your computer.

Everyone on my courses can join the AfroLabs AI Show & tell, on Monday afternoons from 15:00 to 16:00 SAST, where people from all over share their AI journeys.

  1. Optional add-on · Any time before 18 Jan · Two hours

    Your strategy and setup session

    This optional session is just you and me, at a time that suits you before the third session. We choose the piece of your own work that you will build across the AI Bootcamp, and we write down what done looks like. Then we install Claude and every tool you need, and we check that everything works on your computer.

    You leave with your project defined, and Claude and your tools installed and working

  2. Mon 7 Dec · Kick-off · 19:30–21:30

    What Claude actually does when you ask it something

    You learn what happens under the surface when Claude answers, why Claude's answers get worse as a conversation gets longer, and which three settings change those answers.

    You leave with one real job done, and the setting that made the difference

  3. The AI Bootcamp breaks for December and New Year. You go into the break with Claude set up and one real job done.
  4. Mon 11 Jan · 19:30–21:30

    Teaching Claude your work

    This session fixes Claude's writing when it sounds like everyone else's. You decide what Claude should always know, what Claude should look up and what Claude should ignore.

    You leave with your house rules written down, and your first reusable tool

  5. Mon 18 Jan · 19:30–21:30

    Deciding what to build before you build it

    You look at a design of your tool before you commit to building it. You also work through the details nobody thinks about until the tool breaks in front of a client or the board.

    You leave with an approved design, and a list in your own words of what the tool must do

  6. Mon 25 Jan · 19:30–21:30

    Building your tool

    You go from the design to a working tool. Then Claude opens a real web browser, clicks through your tool and reports what actually happened.

    You leave with a working tool, and a check that runs against the tool

  7. Mon 1 Feb · 19:30–21:30

    Knowing when to trust Claude's work

    You work out which decisions need you and which checks should run the same way every time. You also learn how to find out why something went wrong, so that you can stop guessing and rewriting.

    You leave with a review routine and a checking routine, both running on real work

  8. Mon 8 Feb · 19:30–21:30

    Making repeated jobs reusable, and deciding what can run without you

    You turn your repeated jobs into reusable tools, connect Claude to the software you already use, and decide what Claude is allowed to do without you watching.

    You leave with a reusable tool, a job connected to your own software, and your own rules for unattended work

  9. Mon 15 Feb · Clinic · 19:30–21:30

    Build clinic one

    You work on your own project, on your own screen, in a small group. I move between the groups to help. This session has no new material.

    You leave with most of your project built, and a written plan for the rest

  10. Mon 22 Feb · Clinic · 19:30–21:30

    Build clinic two

    You finish your project, check it properly and show it to the group. Then you decide what you will do with your project next month.

    You leave with your project working, in your own job

The two AI Bootcamp clinics

In the last two evenings, you build your own project and I help you.

You say what you are building and where you expect to get stuck. Then you work in small groups while I move between the groups and look at the screen of anyone who is stuck.

I sit with you while you do the work. That takes longer than showing you, and doing the work with help is the purpose of the clinics.

Problems you could solve in the AI Bootcamp

You bring one real problem from your own business. These examples show the kind of problem that suits the AI Bootcamp.

  • Debt recovery follow-up
  • Quotes and invoices prepared automatically
  • Support email replies drafted automatically
  • Deciding which work comes first
  • Timesheet admin
  • CVs scanned and rated, with a person making the hiring decision
  • Small additions to your ERP system
  • Month-end reporting
  • First drafts of board packs
  • Tender responses
  • Comparing contracts
  • Turning meeting notes into action lists
  • Following up on sales leads
Reserve a seat Next cohort starts Monday 7 December

What participants say about the AI Bootcamp

People from business, product and design teams describe what changed after my sessions.

Reserve a seat Next cohort starts Monday 7 December

Who the AI Bootcamp is for

The AI Bootcamp is for business leaders who want to use Claude themselves, on their own work.

You may have approved an AI budget already, or you may still be deciding whether AI is worth paying for. Either way, you have barely used AI on your own work, and there is nobody senior enough to sit down and show you.

  • You don't know what is safe to give an AI toolClient files, salaries and last month's board minutes are all sensitive. Nobody has told you where those documents end up once you paste them in, so your real work never goes near an AI tool.
  • AI writing sounds like everyone else'sYou can hear the AI in the writing, and so can your board, your clients and your team.
  • You can't tell whether an AI answer is rightYou either send the answer and hope, or you check every line yourself and wonder what time you saved.
  • AI tools don't know your businessWhether you pay for AI tools or use free ones, none of them knows your strategy or your numbers.
  • Work that only you can do keeps waitingThe board pack, the monthly report you rebuild by hand and the memo you are saving for a quiet weekend all wait for you.

The course is for you if

  • You lead a business, an organisation or a department.
  • You are not technical, and you have either tried AI and been quietly underwhelmed or not really started.
  • You have a real problem to work on, such as a report you rebuild, a decision you prepare or a process that depends on you.
  • You are willing to put your own work on screen in front of eleven other leaders.

The course is not for you if

  • You want someone to build the tool for you. That is a different service, and I'm happy to point you at one.
  • You want your whole organisation trained. The programme for teams is built for that.
  • You only want to watch. In every session, you work on your own problem.
  • You're chasing a 10× productivity number someone posted online. I can't sell you that, and neither can anyone else.
Reserve a seat Next cohort starts Monday 7 December

The AI Bootcamp price

A seat on the AI Bootcamp comes with or without a one-to-one session with me.

12 seats

A seat

For one business leader, using your own work

From $1 250 the whole programme
  • 16 hours live in a cohort of 12: six teaching sessions and two build clinics
  • Recordings of every session and a workbook, both yours to keep
  • Everything you build is yours
  • The AfroLabs AI Show & tell, on Monday afternoons from 15:00 to 16:00 SAST, with access that continues after the course ends

Add a one-to-one session with me +$450

The one-to-one session is two hours with just you and me. We choose your project, write down what done looks like, and get every tool installed and working on your computer. You can book the session at any time before the third session on 18 January.

Reserve a seat

The promise

If you do the work and it isn't working, you keep your seat in the clinic.

Come to the sessions and do the work between them. If the thing you set out to build still isn't running by the last clinic, you keep coming to clinics until it is, at no extra cost, for up to 60 days after the programme ends.

Outside South Africa a seat is $1 250 (£970, €1 100), or $1 700 (£1 320, €1 500) with the one-to-one session, and is invoiced. These are introductory rates and they go up for the next cohort. You'll also need a Claude subscription, from about $20 a month, paid to Anthropic.

Reserve a seat Next cohort starts Monday 7 December
Stephan Swart

Who runs the AI Bootcamp

I'm Stephan Swart, and I run every session myself.

I've spent five-plus years getting AI tools into the daily work of real teams, and the last two doing the same for people who don't write code. I run Leadership Nomad and have led software teams and architecture for years. I teach the way the evidence says people learn: you do the work, you compare what you got, and you decide what good looks like. I'll tell you plainly if the AI Bootcamp isn't for you.

If the thing you set out to build isn't running by the last clinic, you keep coming to clinics until it is, for up to 60 days after the programme ends.

Connect on LinkedIn
Reserve a seat Next cohort starts Monday 7 December

Questions about the AI Bootcamp

Can I use Claude Code if I'm not a developer?

Yes. Claude does the typing. Your job is to say clearly what you want, check what Claude gives back, and decide what is good enough to use. Leading people already teaches you those three things. You will spend time in a terminal window, and it will feel odd for about a session and a half.

How is the AI Bootcamp different from the free courses from Anthropic and Google?

The free courses are good, and you should do them. They teach AI tools in general. The AI Bootcamp runs on your own work, with me there when something goes wrong. The AI Bootcamp ends with two clinics where you build your project and I help you, and you can add a one-to-one session where we plan your project together. A video can't help you build your own project.

What's the difference between Claude Code and Claude Cowork?

Claude Code and Claude Cowork both come from Anthropic, and both are included in a paid Claude plan. Cowork works through tasks in the folders and tools you choose, from the desktop app, the web or your phone. Claude Code gives you more control: you teach Claude your rules once, build small tools of your own, and decide what may run without you. I teach Claude Code because it gives you that control, and everything you learn carries over to Cowork.

What do I need for the AI Bootcamp, and what does it cost on top of the seat?

You need a computer, a reasonable internet connection and a Claude subscription. The subscription costs around $20 a month at the entry tier, and you pay it directly to Anthropic. I send a short setup guide before the AI Bootcamp starts. If you add the one-to-one session, we finish the setup together and check that everything works.

What if I miss a session of the AI Bootcamp?

Every session is recorded and you get the workbook, so you can catch up. You do your project work in the sessions, so missing more than two sessions will hurt. If you tell me in advance, I'll help you catch up before the next session.

Is it safe to give an AI agent my email and files?

Giving Claude Code your email and files is as safe as the access you give it, so we set that access up deliberately. Claude Code runs on your own computer and works only on the files you point it at. What Claude Code reads is sent to Anthropic to be processed. We cover what should never go near Claude Code, what your subscription tier does with your data, and how to set boundaries that keep Claude Code to the files and tools you choose. If you handle sensitive information, we cover that properly in session two.

What if I don't know what to build?

Most people arrive with a rough idea and no defined project, and that's fine. The quickest route is the one-to-one session, where we pick your project together and write down what done looks like. Without the one-to-one session, I give you a Claude skill that asks you the questions I would ask, and your homework before the third session is to work through those questions. Either way, you arrive at session three with your project written down. If you're stuck, you can start from examples such as month-end reporting, first drafts of board packs or tender responses. You do need to bring something real from your own work.

What can a business leader automate with Claude Code?

Claude Code suits work that takes up your week and follows a pattern, such as first drafts of email in your voice, research briefs, month-end reporting, first drafts of board packs and decision memos laid out the way you think. Claude Code works only on what you hand it, and you decide what Claude Code may do without asking.

Can I keep joining the AfroLabs AI Show & tell after the AI Bootcamp ends?

Yes. Everyone on my courses can join the AfroLabs AI Show & tell, on Monday afternoons from 15:00 to 16:00 SAST, where people from all over share their AI journeys. Your access continues after the AI Bootcamp ends.

Reserve a seat Next cohort starts Monday 7 December

Can't make the dates for this cohort?

Join the waiting list and you'll hear about the next cohort before the dates go on the site.

  • The dates of the next cohort as soon as they're set
  • A 20-minute setup guide, written for non-technical people
  • The details of the AI Bootcamp, if you want them in the meantime

I'll never share your email, and I won't add you to a newsletter you didn't ask for.