A Year-End Note from Build Club 2026
Supraja Yerawar
Thu, 08 Jan 2026 05:09:07 GMT
<p><strong>Dear Builder,</strong></p><p>Before anything else, thank you. 🙏</p><p>Thank you to everyone who showed up this year. Builders, city leads, partners, early believers, and the people quietly doing the work behind the scenes. Build Club only exists because people choose to participate, and we are genuinely grateful for that.</p><p>As the year wraps up, we wanted to write something simple.</p><p>Just a note on why Build Club exists, what we actually spent this year building, and how our thinking shifted as AI kept moving faster than anyone expected.</p><h2><strong>Why Build Club exists</strong></h2><p>AI is reshaping how we live. It is exciting, and it can also feel uncertain.</p><p>This year, we met many people who were curious about AI but unsure where to start, not because they did not care, but because everything was moving fast and it was not clear what would matter.</p><p>We are here to help people move through this transition together. 🤝</p><h3><strong>A few moments that stood out</strong></h3><ul><li><p>Build Club crossed 50+ cities globally, mostly because people wanted local spaces to build and decided to organise them</p></li><li><p>We partnered with Manus AI, who were recently named the fastest growing startup in the world, along with working with Lovable to spearhead the viral ‘shipped’ program</p></li><li><p>From running sessions in Nepal to the fast-moving, practical momentum driven by city leads across India, this year showed how local leaders can make AI learning accessible regardless of geography</p></li><li><p>Our team moved in together and now lives in a hacker house in San Francisco 🏡</p></li></ul><p>Watching local communities form around building has been one of the most meaningful parts of this work. 💛</p><h3><strong>Our community spotlight</strong></h3><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!JwYK!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2ea2ab69-d41c-4150-9104-ac4e05670108_1600x900.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!JwYK!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2ea2ab69-d41c-4150-9104-ac4e05670108_1600x900.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!JwYK!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2ea2ab69-d41c-4150-9104-ac4e05670108_1600x900.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!JwYK!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2ea2ab69-d41c-4150-9104-ac4e05670108_1600x900.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!JwYK!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2ea2ab69-d41c-4150-9104-ac4e05670108_1600x900.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!JwYK!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2ea2ab69-d41c-4150-9104-ac4e05670108_1600x900.png" width="1456" height="819" 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https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!JwYK!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2ea2ab69-d41c-4150-9104-ac4e05670108_1600x900.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!JwYK!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2ea2ab69-d41c-4150-9104-ac4e05670108_1600x900.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" style="height:20px;width:20px" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 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href="https://solaris.buildclub.ai/">Solaris</a>.</p><p>As individuals got more capable, another pattern became clear. A lot of organisations were experimenting with AI, but struggling to make it stick in day-to-day work.</p><p>Solaris exists to help with that, through AI diagnostics, internal champion programs, and clearer visibility into how AI is actually being used.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wHVT!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8f0ba5c8-c31c-45f4-b7cb-849704758009_1600x857.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wHVT!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8f0ba5c8-c31c-45f4-b7cb-849704758009_1600x857.png 424w, 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committed to building community so even more people can move forward with confidence, together.</p><h2><strong>Thank you</strong></h2><p>To the builders who kept showing up.<br>To the city leads who built locally without guarantees.<br>To our customers and early believers who trusted us early.</p><p>And to our team, thank you for building with care and intention. None of this happens without you. 💪</p><p>From all of us at Build Club and Solaris, thank you for being part of the journey.</p><p>Wishing you some rest and a bit of perspective heading into the new year. 🌱</p><p>Happy holidays,<br><strong>Build Club Fam!</strong></p><p><strong>P.S. We’re hiring 🚀</strong></p>