AI makes it easier than ever to build features.
But most early startups don’t fail because they couldn’t build.
They fail because they built too much of the wrong thing.
For non-technical founders, the real challenge isn’t writing code.
It’s leading product decisions: deciding what to build, what to delay, and what to kill.
This session is designed for founders who have an AI prototype, concept, or early demo and want to turn it into a focused MVP without over-engineering the product.
If you’re a non-technical founder who has been:
- experimenting with AI tools or prototypes
- unsure what should actually go into the MVP
- overwhelmed by feature ideas and scope creep
- struggling to prioritise features and workflows
- worried about building the wrong thing first
…this session will give you practical product frameworks to stay lean and focused.
What You’ll Learn:
In this 60-minute session you’ll learn how to lead product decisions for an AI startup, even if you’re not technical.
We’ll cover:
- how to turn a prototype or AI demo into a focused MVP
- the One Workflow Rule most early products should follow
- how to prioritise features without letting scope creep explode
- how to install shipping rules so your product actually launches
- how to define kill rules to remove features that don’t matter
- which metrics actually matter at the MVP stage
By the end of the session, you’ll walk away with clear product principles you can apply immediately to keep your MVP lean, focused, and moving forward.
Who This Is For:
This session is designed for:
- non-technical founders building AI, software, or automation products
- founders with a prototype or early concept moving toward MVP
- founders who want to lead product decisions without becoming engineers
Hosted by – Matt Ainsworth
Product, marketing and communication specialist.
For over 10 years across the startup ecosystems of Japan and Australia, Matt has worked closely with founders navigating across a range of growth stages.
With a background in product, marketing, sales and communications – he focuses on helping non-technical founders move from feeling dependent on technical partners to confidently leading their build with structure and clarity.
Joined by – Josh Easten
Tech Product Specialist
Josh Easten is a senior tech Product Manager with 10+ years’ experience building and scaling digital products across SaaS and online platforms in finance, EdTech, streaming entertainment, and logistics.
Currently based in Australia, with experience across Japan and China, he has led product vision and growth strategy, helped scale platforms to 1M+ monthly active users, and driven improvements in monetisation and user experience while leading cross-functional agile teams.
Josh brings a practical operator’s lens to judging, with a focus on product-market fit, customer insight, and scalable execution.
What to Expect:
- 60-minute practical session
- clear product frameworks you can apply immediately
- live Q&A with founders building right now
- Downloadable worksheet to help you take action immediately
This is a practical working session designed to help founders make better product decisions before spending serious development money.
AI can generate features. Product leadership decides which ones matter.
Join us and learn how to turn your AI idea into a focused MVP.
Not part of our AU x JP Startups slack channel yet ? Join here – https://join.slack.com/t/startuptodayjpau/shared_invite/zt-3nhixxttc-9RYrkSusbk7HEM3QBQJvXg
