This hands-on workshop introduces the core concepts behind Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) and shows how they come together in a working application. We'll start by breaking down the RAG pipeline step by step: embeddings, semantic search, chunking, vector databases, retrieval, ranking, context construction, and generation. Through working code, we'll explore how each stage affects the quality and reliability of the final response, along with common failure modes and practical considerations when building RAG systems. We'll then add a conversational interface on top of the retrieval pipeline to show how RAG can be used inside real product experiences rather than as a standalone search demo. The workshop is approximately 80% hands-on and 20% theory, with two parallel implementation tracks: Python: Sentence Transformers + ChromaDB + PydanticAI By the end of the workshop, students will understand the major components of a RAG system, the tradeoffs involved in designing one, and the engineering practices needed to build more reliable AI-powered search and conversational product features.

Passion projects have always moved me forward. In this talk, I’ll share some stories of burnout, getting stuck, and how a few random projects for friends challenged my assumptions about what software should and could be. While accidentally fueling a new era of curiosity, self-discovery, and finally making the things I want to make, in the way I want to make them. This isn’t a talk about launching a product or finding a market. It’s about what happens when you have an audience of one: yourself. Along the way, you might make your day a little better, learn some new tools, and rediscover some of the curiosity and joy that got you interested in making software in the first place. If I’ve done my job, the next time we talk, you’ll be telling me about the thing you made that changed things for you.

Stuck on your game project? Whether you need folks to bounce technical questions off of, a round of play testers for feedback, or just some social motivation to get the ball rolling- join this meetup of Godot developers to Un-Jam your game!