Class 2: August 20, 2026 · ENTR 5000
Notes from August 20, 2026. These notes record the discussion and instructions given that day. For current requirements and due dates, use the assignment guidelines and semester schedule.
Studio structure and useful ideas
The course will run through four three-week sprint cycles after the initial orientation. Set goals at the start, build on Tuesdays, share brief work-in-progress demonstrations and feedback on Thursdays, and finish each sprint with a longer demonstration. Projects can serve an existing venture, a new venture, or a useful personal problem. The schedule combines autonomy with recurring evidence of progress.
AI has a jagged frontier: impressive performance on one task does not guarantee competence on a neighboring task. The point of the introductory neural-network material is to become an informed operator who understands the broad mechanism and limitations, not to train a new model or master all the mathematics.
Short project demonstrations showed the potential of software for one person: lab records, workouts, schedules and other small recurring needs can justify a custom tool. The first build is an experiment in what the tools can do, not a polished product requirement.
Introductions and name practice accompanied the demonstrations; a one-point name-learning extra-credit challenge was announced for September 3.
Before Tuesday, August 25
- Watch 3Blue1Brown: But what is a neural network?. Focus on the conceptual explanation; only this first video was required.
- Listen to the assigned AI Daily Brief episode shared in Slack, particularly its AI-learning framework and jagged-frontier discussion.
- Read the syllabus. There will not be a syllabus Kahoot for this course.
- Install Slack and complete your profile. Use Slack for course communication, ELC for grades, and UGA mail for private grade questions.
- Arrange the required paid ChatGPT or Claude access and desktop tools described in class/the syllabus. These are the course’s instructions at this date; see Slack for setup links.
- Optional: share a screenshot or link from your initial short build in Slack before class. Continue experimenting without treating it as a polished submission.
Additional listening mentioned: Founders, which explores entrepreneurial biographies.