Set Up Your Environment | 100x Product Builder

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The missing package manager for Mac — it turns installing developer tools like Node.js and Git into a single command.

Open Terminal (press Cmd + Space, type "Terminal", press Enter).
Paste and run the official install command from brew.sh:
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
Enter your Mac password when prompted (you won't see characters as you type) and press Return to confirm.
If Homebrew prints "Next steps" with commands to add it to your PATH, copy and run them exactly as shown.
Verify Open a new terminal window and run brew --version.
You should see something like Homebrew 4.x.x. If it's not found, close and reopen your terminal so the PATH changes take effect.

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Runs the JavaScript tooling behind your app — npm, your dev server, and the build tools you'll use during the workshop.

Install with Homebrew:
brew install node
Wait for it to finish — this installs npm as well.
Go to nodejs.org/en/download and download the Windows Installer (.msi), LTS version.
Run the installer, keep the default options (make sure "Add to PATH" stays checked), and finish.
Verify Open a terminal and run node --version and npm --version.
Both commands should print a version number, e.g. v24.x.x and 10.x.x.

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Version control for your project's code — every change you make during the workshop will be tracked with Git.

Download the installer from git-scm.com/downloads/win — the 64-bit installer starts automatically.
Run the installer and keep the default options selected until it finishes.
Open Git Bash from the Start menu — this is the terminal you'll use for Git commands.
Open Terminal (press Cmd + Space, type "Terminal", press Enter).
Run xcode-select --install and confirm the pop-up. (Already use Homebrew? brew install git works too.)
Wait for the install to finish — it can take a few minutes.
Set your identity so your commits are signed with your name:
git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "you@example.com"
Verify Open a terminal (Git Bash on Windows, Terminal on Mac) and run git --version.
You should see a version number, e.g. git version 2.5x.x. If you see "command not found", reopen your terminal or restart your computer.

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GitHub hosts your code and lets Vercel deploy it automatically. The GitHub CLI (gh) lets you authenticate and manage repos from the terminal.

Create a free account at github.com/signup if you don't already have one.
Download the GitHub CLI Windows installer (.msi) from cli.github.com.
Run the downloaded .msi file and follow the setup wizard, keeping the default options.

Prefer the terminal? winget install --id GitHub.cli --source winget works too.
Install the GitHub CLI with Homebrew:
brew install gh
Authenticate by running gh auth login, then choose GitHub.com → HTTPS → Login with a web browser.
Copy the one-time code shown in your terminal, paste it into the browser tab that opens, and authorize the CLI.
Verify Run gh auth status in your terminal.
You should see "Logged in to github.com account <your-username>". If it's missing, run gh auth login again.

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Vercel deploys your app straight from GitHub and gives it a public URL in seconds.

Go to vercel.com/signup.
Click Continue with GitHub and authorize Vercel to access your repositories.
Optional but handy: install the CLI and log in from your terminal.
npm i -g vercel then vercel login
Verify Open vercel.com/dashboard.
You should see your account name top-left and an empty Projects screen ready for your first deployment. If you installed the CLI, vercel whoami should print your username.

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Your AI pair-programmer for the day. The workshop uses the Code tab inside Claude Desktop, which requires a Pro plan (or higher).

Download Claude Desktop for your OS from claude.ai/download and install it.
Open the app and sign in with your Anthropic account.
Make sure your account is on a Pro plan or higher — check or upgrade at claude.ai/settings/billing. This is required to use the Code tab.
Click the Code tab in the top navigation of Claude Desktop.
Verify In the Code tab, you should be able to pick a project folder and start a session without any upgrade prompt.
If you see "Error 403: Forbidden" or an upgrade prompt, sign out and back in from the app menu, or confirm your Pro subscription is active, then quit and reopen the app completely.

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Track the tasks for your product build like a real team — free for up to 10 users, no credit card needed.

Sign up at atlassian.com/try/cloud/signup with your email, then choose a site name to create your workspace.
Create your first project: pick the Software template, choose Kanban (or Scrum), name it, and click Create.
Create your first ticket: click Create in the top nav, select your project, issue type Task, add a summary like "Set up my 100x Product Builder workspace", then Create.
Verify Open your project's Backlog or Board — your new ticket should appear there with a key like PROJ-1.

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A free cloud database for your app's data, reachable from your app once it's deployed on Vercel.

Sign up for free at mongodb.com/cloud/atlas/register.
Click Build a Database, choose the free M0 tier, pick a cloud provider and region close to you, then Create.
Create a database user: pick a username, click Autogenerate Secure Password, and save that password somewhere safe.
Under Network Access, click Allow Access From Anywhere so the access list shows 0.0.0.0/0.
This matters because Vercel runs your app from changing IP addresses each time — if you restrict the list to your own IP, your deployed app won't be able to reach the database.
Click Connect → Drivers, and copy your connection string, replacing <password> with the password you saved.
Verify On the Network Access page, confirm the 0.0.0.0/0 entry shows status "Active".
Then test the connection string with MongoDB Compass, or run mongosh "<your connection string>" in a terminal — you should connect successfully and see the Atlas shell prompt.

Set up your environment for 100x Product Builder