Workshop
Design & Rapid Prototyping
Nothing may be more key to your eventual success than rapidly, iteratively, and cost-effectively testing your hypotheses on a regular basis. This workshop is intended to accelerate your understanding of why, and how to, design and build testable prototypes — software and/or hardware— to get from a thousand “no”s to a million “yes”s — i.e. product-market fit or pre-seed raise. This is a hands-on workshop. You'll build a prototype, and if brave enough, actually present it.
Lecture Only
- 1+ hour lecture
- Q&A
- Reference bibliography
Lecture + Workshop
- 1+ hour lecture
- Break
- 1+ hour prototyping workshop
- :15 – :30 mins team presentations
- Reference bibliography
Topics
- Historical context
- Speed / iteration / testing
- How to evaluate and utilize the right tools
- Importance and use of AI
- Importance of design / prototyping
- A contextual model for building rapidly
- Software (logical) vs. hardware (physical) design & production
What Attendees Say
“Best/most relevant workshop so far.”
— SkyDeck Batch 21 Founder
“I LOVED this one and almost missed it. The title of the presentation did not do it justice.”
— SkyDeck Batch 21 Founder
“Best presentation yet — felt like a behind-the-scenes look at industry.”
— SkyDeck Batch 21 Founder
“I really liked it. Great content, highly relevant. Walked away with some key to-dos.”
— SkyDeck Batch 21 Founder
“I love the POV that was more about building than selling. As a CTO it resonates with me.”
— SkyDeck Batch 21 Founder
“Tim really brings the knowledge and experience to the table. And you can tell that he has stayed on the cutting edge of IT through his entire career.”
— SkyDeck Batch 21 Founder
“Very pragmatic workshop.”
— SkyDeck Batch 20 Founder
“Tim was very engaging.”
— SkyDeck Batch 20 Founder
“Topic of importance and great presentation.”
— SkyDeck Batch 20 Founder
“Bam! What a session! The power was in his presentation, his experiences, and his learnings, especially his perspective from the VC perspective. Super engaging, knowledgeable, approachable — wow.”
— SkyDeck Batch 19 Founder
“Fantastic speaker. His critique of design thinking rang true.”
— SkyDeck Batch 19 Founder
“I loved the first part, where the power of prototyping is portrayed. And how a simple prototype could tell way more than a fancy pitch deck.”
— SkyDeck Batch 19 Founder
“It showed how easy and not complicated or time-consuming an MVP should be.”
— SkyDeck Batch 19 Founder
“Amazing, we need more like that if possible.”
— SkyDeck Batch 18 Founder
“Super Interesting this workshop! I loved it!”
— SkyDeck Batch 18 Founder
“Tim was my favorite speaker thus far because he lets his unique personality shine through and is clearly bright, creative, and knowledgeable. Also, he's able to respond to questions/critiques on his feet.”
— SkyDeck Batch 18 Founder
“Very good and exciting, in particular the interactive nature.”
— SkyDeck Batch 18 Founder
“I simply fell in love with him and his workshop! Would love to follow up with him.”
— SkyDeck Batch 17 Founder
“Already implementing Tim's suggestions.”
— SkyDeck Batch 17 Founder
“Very interesting, now we have a new mindset on prototyping.”
— SkyDeck Batch 17 Founder
“The concept of prototypes has been very insightful for efficiently and effectively advancing our business in the future.”
— SkyDeck Batch 17 Founder
“Great tools to help us define our pilot project.”
— SkyDeck Batch 17 Founder
“Key concepts were presented in the most effective way. The group project was an amazing idea.”
— SkyDeck Batch 16 Founder
“Tim carries rich experience across the evolution of the stages of technology. It really reflected well in his thought process and teaching.”
— SkyDeck Batch 16 Founder
“Mind blowing, a lot of really unusual examples, really helpful!”
— SkyDeck Batch 16 Founder
“I was out of my comfort zone, which I love.”
— SkyDeck Batch 16 Founder
“It was great to have hands-on experience, even online, and to get to work with other founders.”
— SkyDeck Batch 16 Founder
“Tim was fantastic and energetic.”
— SkyDeck Batch 16 Founder
“Very nice and polished presentation that really conveyed new, applicable knowledge.”
— SkyDeck Batch 15 Founder
“Super helpful for non-designer founders.”
— SkyDeck Batch 15 Founder
“Good mix of theory and practical insights.”
— SkyDeck Batch 15 Founder
“Relevant, very well delivered.”
— SkyDeck Batch 15 Founder
“Tim ROCKS! This was the best workshop yet. Loved the hands-on aspect of it.”
— SkyDeck Batch 14 Founder
“This was one of my favorites. Tim has great energy and enthusiasm. I already ordered the book, Sprint, that he recommended.”
— SkyDeck Batch 14 Founder
“Tim had an excellent presentation packed with useful info.”
— SkyDeck Batch 13 Founder
“A lot of useful ideas for prototyping ideas at any stage of development and any amount of complexity.”
— SkyDeck Batch 13 Founder
“Super insightful content on how to sprint fast.”
— SkyDeck Batch 13 Founder
“Great workshop, relevant for all startups. Very engaging speaker.”
— SkyDeck Batch 13 Founder
“It was important to know that it's critical to get the product to customer fast instead of trying to make it perfect.”
— SkyDeck Batch 13 Founder
“Enjoyed the session, especially Tim walking us through his previous experiences with companies.”
— SkyDeck Batch 13 Founder
“I liked the fact that Tim gave us a method to conduct product design, rather than just a set of tools.”
— SkyDeck Batch 13 Founder
“Best talk ever! Tim's side comments were incredibly insightful. While the prototyping advice was helpful and interesting, the workshop's real value was Tim's promotion and fundraising ideas.”
— SkyDeck Batch 12 Founder
“Tim Smith was a great speaker and I felt like I learned a lot from the content he presented.”
— SkyDeck Batch 12 Founder
“I originally heard about Tim at the SkyDeck Decal class. He is an extremely clear and engaging speaker. His prototyping examples and frameworks give a clear direction for our startup's products.”
— SkyDeck Batch 12 Founder
“Tim's presentation really established the understated importance of efficiently and quickly designing prototypes.”
— SkyDeck Batch 12 Founder
“This workshop helped us reimagine what type of design and prototyping tools can help design a successful product.”
— SkyDeck Batch 12 Founder
“I loved how personable Tim is throughout his presentation!”
— SkyDeck Batch 12 Founder
“Tim's presentation was nicely designed. He is a brilliant speaker. Having watched his previous presentation at AccelerateHer, he helped refresh many valuable ideas.”
— SkyDeck Batch 12 Founder
“You have inspiring design and VC achievement, and gave an engaging and impactful designing/prototyping workshop at SkyDeck.”
— Derek S. Chan — UC Berkeley Faculty & SkyDeck Founder
“I enjoyed and learned a lot through participating in your rapid prototyping workshop. It's inspiring to hear of your journey from management consulting to founding one of the most influential design companies.”
— Raymond Lee — UC Berkeley, Machine Learning at Berkeley
“We are still buzzing from your presentation with BI Norway. Would you be so kind as to forward your deck? The students have been asking after it!”
— Vanessa Luke — Program Services Manager, Berkeley Executive Education
“I quizzed the founders and got really great feedback. I enjoyed the process and it helped clarify and enhance my own thinking about demos.”
— Caroline Winnett — Executive Director, Berkeley SkyDeck
“This is incredible! Like beyond. Feel so grateful we connected... This could be an absolute game changer for our students, especially for the folks who want to lean into entrepreneurship.”
— Christine Dito — Executive Director, Berkeley M.E.T. Program
“Best/most relevant workshop so far.”
— SkyDeck Batch 21 Founder
“I LOVED this one and almost missed it. The title of the presentation did not do it justice.”
— SkyDeck Batch 21 Founder
“Best presentation yet — felt like a behind-the-scenes look at industry.”
— SkyDeck Batch 21 Founder
“I really liked it. Great content, highly relevant. Walked away with some key to-dos.”
— SkyDeck Batch 21 Founder
“I love the POV that was more about building than selling. As a CTO it resonates with me.”
— SkyDeck Batch 21 Founder
“Tim really brings the knowledge and experience to the table. And you can tell that he has stayed on the cutting edge of IT through his entire career.”
— SkyDeck Batch 21 Founder
“Very pragmatic workshop.”
— SkyDeck Batch 20 Founder
“Tim was very engaging.”
— SkyDeck Batch 20 Founder
“Topic of importance and great presentation.”
— SkyDeck Batch 20 Founder
“Bam! What a session! The power was in his presentation, his experiences, and his learnings, especially his perspective from the VC perspective. Super engaging, knowledgeable, approachable — wow.”
— SkyDeck Batch 19 Founder
“Fantastic speaker. His critique of design thinking rang true.”
— SkyDeck Batch 19 Founder
“I loved the first part, where the power of prototyping is portrayed. And how a simple prototype could tell way more than a fancy pitch deck.”
— SkyDeck Batch 19 Founder
“It showed how easy and not complicated or time-consuming an MVP should be.”
— SkyDeck Batch 19 Founder
“Amazing, we need more like that if possible.”
— SkyDeck Batch 18 Founder
“Super Interesting this workshop! I loved it!”
— SkyDeck Batch 18 Founder
“Tim was my favorite speaker thus far because he lets his unique personality shine through and is clearly bright, creative, and knowledgeable. Also, he's able to respond to questions/critiques on his feet.”
— SkyDeck Batch 18 Founder
“Very good and exciting, in particular the interactive nature.”
— SkyDeck Batch 18 Founder
“I simply fell in love with him and his workshop! Would love to follow up with him.”
— SkyDeck Batch 17 Founder
“Already implementing Tim's suggestions.”
— SkyDeck Batch 17 Founder
“Very interesting, now we have a new mindset on prototyping.”
— SkyDeck Batch 17 Founder
“The concept of prototypes has been very insightful for efficiently and effectively advancing our business in the future.”
— SkyDeck Batch 17 Founder
“Great tools to help us define our pilot project.”
— SkyDeck Batch 17 Founder
“Key concepts were presented in the most effective way. The group project was an amazing idea.”
— SkyDeck Batch 16 Founder
“Tim carries rich experience across the evolution of the stages of technology. It really reflected well in his thought process and teaching.”
— SkyDeck Batch 16 Founder
“Mind blowing, a lot of really unusual examples, really helpful!”
— SkyDeck Batch 16 Founder
“I was out of my comfort zone, which I love.”
— SkyDeck Batch 16 Founder
“It was great to have hands-on experience, even online, and to get to work with other founders.”
— SkyDeck Batch 16 Founder
“Tim was fantastic and energetic.”
— SkyDeck Batch 16 Founder
“Very nice and polished presentation that really conveyed new, applicable knowledge.”
— SkyDeck Batch 15 Founder
“Super helpful for non-designer founders.”
— SkyDeck Batch 15 Founder
“Good mix of theory and practical insights.”
— SkyDeck Batch 15 Founder
“Relevant, very well delivered.”
— SkyDeck Batch 15 Founder
“Tim ROCKS! This was the best workshop yet. Loved the hands-on aspect of it.”
— SkyDeck Batch 14 Founder
“This was one of my favorites. Tim has great energy and enthusiasm. I already ordered the book, Sprint, that he recommended.”
— SkyDeck Batch 14 Founder
“Tim had an excellent presentation packed with useful info.”
— SkyDeck Batch 13 Founder
“A lot of useful ideas for prototyping ideas at any stage of development and any amount of complexity.”
— SkyDeck Batch 13 Founder
“Super insightful content on how to sprint fast.”
— SkyDeck Batch 13 Founder
“Great workshop, relevant for all startups. Very engaging speaker.”
— SkyDeck Batch 13 Founder
“It was important to know that it's critical to get the product to customer fast instead of trying to make it perfect.”
— SkyDeck Batch 13 Founder
“Enjoyed the session, especially Tim walking us through his previous experiences with companies.”
— SkyDeck Batch 13 Founder
“I liked the fact that Tim gave us a method to conduct product design, rather than just a set of tools.”
— SkyDeck Batch 13 Founder
“Best talk ever! Tim's side comments were incredibly insightful. While the prototyping advice was helpful and interesting, the workshop's real value was Tim's promotion and fundraising ideas.”
— SkyDeck Batch 12 Founder
“Tim Smith was a great speaker and I felt like I learned a lot from the content he presented.”
— SkyDeck Batch 12 Founder
“I originally heard about Tim at the SkyDeck Decal class. He is an extremely clear and engaging speaker. His prototyping examples and frameworks give a clear direction for our startup's products.”
— SkyDeck Batch 12 Founder
“Tim's presentation really established the understated importance of efficiently and quickly designing prototypes.”
— SkyDeck Batch 12 Founder
“This workshop helped us reimagine what type of design and prototyping tools can help design a successful product.”
— SkyDeck Batch 12 Founder
“I loved how personable Tim is throughout his presentation!”
— SkyDeck Batch 12 Founder
“Tim's presentation was nicely designed. He is a brilliant speaker. Having watched his previous presentation at AccelerateHer, he helped refresh many valuable ideas.”
— SkyDeck Batch 12 Founder
“You have inspiring design and VC achievement, and gave an engaging and impactful designing/prototyping workshop at SkyDeck.”
— Derek S. Chan — UC Berkeley Faculty & SkyDeck Founder
“I enjoyed and learned a lot through participating in your rapid prototyping workshop. It's inspiring to hear of your journey from management consulting to founding one of the most influential design companies.”
— Raymond Lee — UC Berkeley, Machine Learning at Berkeley
“We are still buzzing from your presentation with BI Norway. Would you be so kind as to forward your deck? The students have been asking after it!”
— Vanessa Luke — Program Services Manager, Berkeley Executive Education
“I quizzed the founders and got really great feedback. I enjoyed the process and it helped clarify and enhance my own thinking about demos.”
— Caroline Winnett — Executive Director, Berkeley SkyDeck
“This is incredible! Like beyond. Feel so grateful we connected... This could be an absolute game changer for our students, especially for the folks who want to lean into entrepreneurship.”
— Christine Dito — Executive Director, Berkeley M.E.T. Program
Past / Recurring Workshops
Entrepreneurs
at Berkeley
Business
School
Workshop
Juggling Ice-Breaker
Years ago, Caroline Winnett, Executive Director of SkyDeck asked what we could do in the way of an initial ice-breaker exercise for each new cohort of teams. Objective: take the students out of their comfort zone, do something physically active, underline how to take best advantage of the SkyDeck program and advisors, and encourage mixing with new colleagues.
We somehow stumbled on the fact that both Caroline and I knew how to juggle — to some extent — and thus was born what has turned into a bit of a tradition.
Each new cohort at SkyDeck now starts with this juggling ice-breaker. The session consists of a short presentation (history of juggling, juggling as a metaphor for entrepreneurship) and then we attempt to teach 100+ people how to juggle. We currently run between 4–5% of each group learns to juggle for the first time.
Each session culminates with Caroline and Tim attempting a 3-3-10 passing pattern — we usually fail. And that's the point ...
What Attendees Say — Juggling with a VC
“This was a super fun activity that got us out of our comfort zones and allowed us to meet some new people.”
— SkyDeck Batch 20 Founder
“Shocking enough to make us lower our defenses and allow us to absorb the metaphor. It was also really funny and satisfying.”
— SkyDeck Batch 19 Founder
“Great group activity; Tim is a Rock and Roll star!”
— SkyDeck Batch 19 Founder
“Best thing ever! Please keep it.”
— SkyDeck Batch 18 Founder
“This one was so much fun and well-timed in week 2. I hope you continue to offer this!”
— SkyDeck Batch 18 Founder
“Funny and relaxing while getting used to the idea that you gotta start somewhere and it's okay to fail.”
— SkyDeck Batch 18 Founder
“So much fun!!!”
— SkyDeck Batch 18 Founder
“Just plain good fun and reminds us to loosen up. Also encouraged the mindset of think you can rather than that you can't.”
— SkyDeck Batch 18 Founder
“Moving my body turned out to be a very refreshing experience. At the same time, I learned about the importance of breaking down elements when dealing with problems.”
— SkyDeck Batch 17 Founder
“This is the best because I can now juggle.”
— SkyDeck Batch 17 Founder
“Super fun and a good mental exercise!”
— SkyDeck Batch 17 Founder
“The most creative and unforgettable workshop I've ever attended. Big thanks to Tim and the organizers for this unique experience.”
— SkyDeck Batch 16 Founder
“Very fun. Perfect time to schedule it right after lunch. Did not need a coffee after this.”
— SkyDeck Batch 16 Founder
“Great for relaxing and decompressing.”
— SkyDeck Batch 16 Founder
“Never thought of trying to juggle anything in my life, so this was the opportunity to do so.”
— SkyDeck Batch 16 Founder
“This was a super fun activity that got us out of our comfort zones and allowed us to meet some new people.”
— SkyDeck Batch 20 Founder
“Shocking enough to make us lower our defenses and allow us to absorb the metaphor. It was also really funny and satisfying.”
— SkyDeck Batch 19 Founder
“Great group activity; Tim is a Rock and Roll star!”
— SkyDeck Batch 19 Founder
“Best thing ever! Please keep it.”
— SkyDeck Batch 18 Founder
“This one was so much fun and well-timed in week 2. I hope you continue to offer this!”
— SkyDeck Batch 18 Founder
“Funny and relaxing while getting used to the idea that you gotta start somewhere and it's okay to fail.”
— SkyDeck Batch 18 Founder
“So much fun!!!”
— SkyDeck Batch 18 Founder
“Just plain good fun and reminds us to loosen up. Also encouraged the mindset of think you can rather than that you can't.”
— SkyDeck Batch 18 Founder
“Moving my body turned out to be a very refreshing experience. At the same time, I learned about the importance of breaking down elements when dealing with problems.”
— SkyDeck Batch 17 Founder
“This is the best because I can now juggle.”
— SkyDeck Batch 17 Founder
“Super fun and a good mental exercise!”
— SkyDeck Batch 17 Founder
“The most creative and unforgettable workshop I've ever attended. Big thanks to Tim and the organizers for this unique experience.”
— SkyDeck Batch 16 Founder
“Very fun. Perfect time to schedule it right after lunch. Did not need a coffee after this.”
— SkyDeck Batch 16 Founder
“Great for relaxing and decompressing.”
— SkyDeck Batch 16 Founder
“Never thought of trying to juggle anything in my life, so this was the opportunity to do so.”
— SkyDeck Batch 16 Founder