Launch your side quest.

Can you make $100 in 48 hours using AI?

Start in one sitting, before your tea gets cold.

Take Your First Bite →

KSh 1,999 ($15) · No downloads · M-Pesa and cards accepted


Build something. Try to get paid.


How it works

One idea. Four moves.

Do these. See if anyone pays.

01

Build something.

You bring something rough. We help you turn it into something you can show.

02

Make it clear.

Say what it is in one line. If people do not get it, fix it.

03

Show it to someone.

Send it to someone who would use it. See what they say.

04

Ask for payment.

48 hours. See if anyone pays.


The Finale

05. The Bakery

Post what you built. See what others made. Vote for the best one today.


You've seen how it works.

Now try it once.

Push to Start →

KSh 1,999 ($15) · No downloads · M-Pesa and cards accepted


What people are building

They started from a messy idea.


CampusCrib

Student housing matching without brokers.

Charge KES 1,500 per match

Amara, Kisumu

Fresh Drip

Laundry pickup for campus students.

KES 500 per load

Wanjiru, Nyeri

Get Hired

Fast CV fixes for job seekers.

KES 1,500 per CV

Ali, Mombasa

You do not need a perfect idea. You need a starting point.


Start the Challenge →

Why this works

When you were 4, you did not wait to be ready.

You just tried.

Monopoly teaches you about money. Scrabble teaches you about words. The game is the classroom. You learn by playing.

First Bite works the same way. You do not learn first. You just start.


Most people do not fail. They never try. They wait until it is clearer, better, safer. That moment rarely comes.

Play is supposed to be fun. Not perfect.


"Knowing what to build, for who, and how to get them to use it is the hard bit of building a company."

— Garry Tan, CEO of Y Combinator, the world's most successful startup accelerator


FAQ

Frequently asked questions.


Is this only for people with business ideas? +
No. It is for anyone with anything they want to try.
Do I need coding skills? +
No. Everything is guided. If you can answer questions you can do this.
How long does it take? +
You can start in one sitting. The challenge runs for 48 hours.
What if I do not make $100? +
Not everyone will. But you will know exactly why. That is worth more than not trying.

Yesterday you said you would start tomorrow.

KSh 1,999 ($15) · No downloads · M-Pesa and cards accepted

Start the Challenge →

Want to see the challenge in action? Watch Gai Fafa →

Live daily · No replays

Gai Fafa.

Every career has that one oh sh*t moment.

Confess it. Take a side quest. Build live using AI.

▶ Watch an Episode

Got a story? Apply to be a guest →

↓ Scroll to learn more


The format

We do not sit down for this.

We take a walk. On a treadmill, side by side. Just movement and the truth people usually avoid. Because it is harder to hide when you keep moving.

One confession. One challenge. One build.


What does Gai Fafa mean?

It is a Kenyan dialect expression. "Oh my God."

Same phrase. Two very different moments. The kind you say when something goes completely wrong. Or when you finally see it clearly.


Real people. Real outcomes.

"I stopped asking for support. Watching Gai Fafa made me try vibe coding. Now it's funding part of my campaign."

— David Maraga, former Chief Justice of Kenya · 2027 presidential candidate

"I got laid off from Koko Networks. Now I build websites and earn more than I used to."

— Waithera, Nairobi


How it works

01

The Confession

They share a mortifying career moment. On a treadmill. No filters. No PR spin. Just the real story.

02

The Challenge

48 hours. A phone & AI. Make $100. They build the MVP live. Then they go. 48 hours later they post what they made on social.

03

The Build

Whatever happens is what airs. No edits. No second takes.


Why this exists

Everyone has failed.

That is not what separates us. What does is this: some people try again. Others do not.

AI is making that gap wider. People think building is for other people. People with money. Skills. Time.

It is not.

The confession proves we are human. The challenge proves anyone can create value now.


What an episode looks like

One confession. One challenge. One build.


The Confession

"I ignored customer feedback for months and lost our biggest client."

The Challenge

48 hours. A phone & AI. Make $100.

The Build

A subscription box for Nairobi street food. Built live. Made Ksh 4,200 in 36 hours.


▶ Watch this episode

Be on the show

Apply to be a guest.

Tell us what happened. Say it. You might end up on the treadmill.

Most people do not fail. They just stop. This is for the ones who do not.


Apply Now

We will only reach out if your story is selected for the show.

Built by Sam Waitathu. Read the story →

Raw stories. Live builds.

The show is not live yet. Be the first to know.

Get notified when we go live →

Want to build something yourself? Try First Bite →

About Creation Yard

Right now, most people learn AI in two ways. They take a course, or they show up to a hackathon in places like Berlin, New York, or San Francisco. Both leave most people out, and neither works at 9pm on a Friday.

We think the problem is still access. Specifically, taking the first step.

First Bite is the third space between a course and a hackathon. It is useful enough to matter, and playful enough to get people started anywhere.

Most people do not need to learn everything first. They need one good try.


About Sam

Sam Waitathu grew up in Kenya and has been on both sides of the blank page.

Some of his early ideas caught the attention of Julian Weisser, founder of On Deck, and Amjad Masad, founder and CEO of Replit, in early 2025. They backed his first venture, a diabetes medication group-buy platform. On Deck has helped launch more than 1,000 startups with more than $10 billion in combined startup value, and Replit is the San Francisco-based coding platform valued at $9 billion.

Some ideas never got off the ground. The difference was never talent. It was whether the first step felt possible.

Sam built Creation Yard so more people can get moving without starting from zero.


"A transformed Africa is a relevant Africa to the world. Business people can transform Africa by creating opportunities."

— Dr. James Mwangi, Group CEO of Equity Group Holdings, one of Africa's largest banks

You might be one attempt away.


Watch Gai Fafa →
Play First Bite →
Act 2

First Pitch

Answer 3 questions. Get a verdict from The Partner.

Question 1 of 3
What does your product do? One sentence.
Pretend you are explaining it to someone at a bus stop.

The Partner is reviewing your pitch.This usually takes about 10 seconds.

The Partner's Verdict
🟢 You Cooked
Your Next Move
The Partner's Verdict
🟡 Almost
Your Next Move
You are close. One thing is holding you back. Refine and pitch again.

The Partner's Verdict
🔴 NGMI
Your Next Move
Go back and fix it. The foundation is not there yet.