The CIO Sandbox

A safe space to experiment with AI.

One hour, one-to-one, with a former CIO as your guide. No jargon, no stupid questions, no corporate compliance to clear — you bring a personal problem, you're on the keyboard, and together you build a real, working app. The fastest way to go beyond the chatbot and feel what AI can actually do for you.

The gap

Most senior leaders have met AI as a chatbot and quietly stalled there — time-poor, surrounded by hype, unsure what to ask without looking out of touch. The gap isn't ambition. It's a safe place to actually try.

The main event

The Sandbox session

One hour, one-to-one. You bring a real everyday problem — family logistics, a hobby, a personal annoyance. You're on the keyboard; the host coaches the prompts. By the end you've built a working web app and put it live on the internet. You leave having felt, in your own hands, how fast this now moves — and what that means for how you lead.

1

Bring a problem

Something small and real from your own life — not a work case study.

2

Build it, hands-on

You drive; the host coaches the prompts. No code, no jargon.

3

Ship it live

Put it on the internet on a real URL before the hour's out.

Where it came from

The same thing happens in session after session with senior leaders: give someone an hour, their own problem, and a guiding hand, and the penny drops in a way no briefing manages. People don't want another webinar — they want a room where no question is too basic and they can put their hands on the thing.

Who it's for

Senior leaders across every function, not just technology — CEOs, CFOs, MDs, founders. Anyone who wants to be genuinely fluent with AI, not merely briefed.

Founding cohort — currently free

We're inviting a small founding group to the sessions. No fee — what you give back instead is your feedback, a testimonial, and helping spread the word.

Apply for a session
Take part

Apply for a session

Places are limited and offered by application. Tell us a little about you and the everyday annoyance you'd love to fix — we'll be in touch.

Applications are captured in Netlify once the site is deployed there. On a local preview the form won't submit — that's expected.
What's next

Where it's going

Over time, people who've built something join occasional group sessions — sharing what they've made, asking anything, learning from each other. A small, candid room of peers, not an audience.

Not ready for a session? Follow along.

A short, regular brief: a few things built each week, plus a plain-English read on what's moving in AI. No commitment.

Captured in Netlify for now; swap for a Substack embed when ready.