co/Build Events
The co/Build events are where the builder community in Dubai becomes tangible. Not a Slack channel, not a Twitter thread -- actual people in a room, working on real things.
The First Event: December 23, 2025
The first co/Build event was at One Life cafe. Manav hosted it. Farza was there. The parking was terrible. The people were incredible.
That night I met Roshan, Sid, Wail, Kasper, Shifa, Bash, and so many others who became part of my regular circle. Armaan was selling F1 diecast model cars in the middle of a builder meetup, which is the most co/Build thing possible. The energy was unlike anything I had experienced -- a room full of people who asked "what are you working on?" instead of "what grade are you in?"
The Format
co/Build runs weekly on Fridays. The format is simple: show up, work on your thing, be around other people doing the same. It is less structured than a networking event and more intentional than a coffee shop. The emphasis is on:
- Consistency -- every Friday, same energy
- Community -- you see the same faces week after week
- Action -- actually working, not just talking about working
200+ founders and builders are part of the community. People have their own profile pages on the Nevermind site. It is a real, named, photographed group.
Key Moments
The "Unlock the Gold" Session
In early March 2026, the LockIn team had a strategy session at a co/Build lunch. Yash, Ansh, and I sat down and mapped out the B2B strategy that eventually led to the KHDA meeting. That pitch to Dubai's school regulatory body came directly from a co/Build session.
The Demo Days
I have demoed products at co/Build events. Standing up in front of a room of builders and showing what you have built is a different kind of accountability. These are people who understand the technical decisions, who ask real questions, and who will actually try your app.
The Community Check-Ins
When I was in the hospital in January 2026 with a stomach infection and Influenza B, someone from co/Build reached out to check on me. That is not networking. That is community.
The Broader Events
Beyond the weekly sessions, the co/Build community has attended:
- Sharjah Entrepreneur Festival
- World EF Dubai 2026
- Various other founder and builder events across Dubai
Roshan runs free weekly tech classes -- 45-minute sessions for the community. The learning is continuous and peer-driven.
The co/Build Core
There is an inner circle called co/Build Core -- active members who collaborate beyond the weekly events. Planning content, organising community initiatives, supporting each other's projects. This is where the deeper relationships form.
Why It Matters
Before co/Build, I was building alone. A teenager in Dubai with ideas and a laptop but no community of people who understood what I was doing. co/Build changed that. It gave me a room full of people who think the way I think, who build the way I build, and who show up every Friday to prove that building is a team sport even when you are a solo founder.
Every major development in my ventures -- the KHDA pitch, the AI + Frnds expansion, the LockIn launch strategy -- has co/Build fingerprints on it. The community did not just support the work. It shaped it.