Here is the short answer: The students delivered more than I thought was possible. Not because they got better lectures, but because they got clearer frameworks, real responsibility and AI as a working tool -- not hype.
The result? Online stores that worked, real sales, media talk and students who went from AI-hypo to actual craftsmanship.
Watch the video that the school communication department posted from demo day
This is the story of how IML222: A 30-day online store was ensnared into future education.
Why I did this
I wanted to test three things:
- What happens when you remove the desks and force the students to work as a proper team? (Inspiration: Building Thinking Classrooms)
- What happens when AI is compulsory in education?
- What happens when the goal is not a task, but a real online store?
Day 1: PRFAQ, Silence and chaos
At the first collection, I removed the rows of desks and placed 20 team stations. The students were randomly distributed, pulled the table number – no choice, no comfort zone. Then the students each got their PRFAQ: "Launches a functioning online store within 30 days."No introduction. No PowerPoint. Just 20 minutes of quiet reading.
Structure first. Freedom afterwards.
The course was organised as a small company: common project management(@Emilie same as you use, only you get everyone to use the same!), clear team rules, team leaders, OKRs and AI as mandatory tools. When the structure is clear, everything else becomes easier.
Three Guests Making the impression
June Steensen – courage and endurance
June's story met the students because it's a textbook example of active learning in practice:
After being rejected by McKinsey, BCG and Bain, she decided to do something the few students dare: She built her own learning project.
She tried first e-mail, phone and LinkedIn - up to several times. Then she wrote 150 handwritten letters to top management in Norwegian companies. She got 149 NoSo let's say that this is the same thing as that. One yes. But one of the yes was enough to open the door. She finally got several answers, and finally she had interview 20 managers about how they think about artificial intelligence.
The most important point — which also impressed students — was not the letters themselves, but June taught:
- That you don't need luck, you need enduranceSo let's say that this is the same thing as that.
- That learning is happening in encounters with people who can more than you.
- That big projects start with small actions.
- That you don't have to wait for opportunities - you can create them yourselfSo let's say that this is the same thing as that.
The week after she told the story in the classroom, she stood in front of partners in both McKinsey and BCG and presented her findings. There was a turning point for several students who began to see the value of their own initiatives and small, courageous choices.
Sverre Steensen – provocation as a driving force
Swear his visit was one of the most tone-giving moments in the entire course – not because he was playing the students with the hair, but because he did the opposite.
He sat in front of 80 students and said loudly and clearly: ‘40-50-year-olds with good work standards and AI are going to take their jobs’.»
It was completely quiet in the room. Some laughed nervously. Others were clearly irritated. But everyone came along.
Swear his strength is that he dares to say what many think, but no one says. And he does it without a filter. It is effective because provocation — properly used — is a educational instrument that creates three things:
- Activation. The students connect immediately. It was like pressing a mental switch.
- Self-reflection. Several admitted after they took the working ethic for granted, and that his statement hit a sore point.
- Ownership. Someone wanted to disprove him. It gave a completely different intensity in work.
Sverre also told about his own experience from Simpler Life – both success and error. He showed how working standards are not about 'working the most' but about meeting up, following up, taking responsibility and not missing when things get difficult.
For students, this became an important reminder: AI does not replace dedication, attendance and character. It enhances the differences. Those who meet up and use technology correctly will have a huge advantage.
The reactions after the talk were strong. Several students said right out of the way that "it was exactly what I needed to get fired". Others thought the opinion was unfair – but everyone was in relation to it, and that was the whole point.
My Emilie Opdal – Self-confidence and Relational Building
My lectures met students in a completely different way from Sverre and June. There Sverre used provocation and June used endurance, Min used some underestimation: vulnerability and self-ironySo let's say that this is the same thing as that.
She came in a little nervous, but it lasted for three minutes. Then it happened that always happens when people talk from a real place: the room calmed down. The students were there. They landed in the future.
Mys told me about the work in Get Inspirad and the lessons from Sindre Landevåg, but what made the most impression, was what she shared about Own uncertainty and how she worked through it.
She said something that was hanging in the classroom long after: ‘You are better than you think — and the others are not as good as you think.’
It hit the students because it's true. Not as a cliché, but as a practical truth in the working world. Many overestimate others and underestimate themselves. Mine did the opposite – and it gave results.
She also taught them a concrete methodology for building relationships without being intrusive:
- Send short messages.
- Ask me good questions.
- Be truly curious.
- Don't ask if people can be mentors – it happens if you deserve itSo let's say that this is the same thing as that.
One of the questions she sent to Sindre, and as several students later copied, was: ‘What three things would you wish you knew when you were 25?’
Simple. Uncomplicated. And extremely effective.
My students gave an important insight: AI can help you with everything from content to analysis – but self-confidence and relationships you must build yourselfSo let's say that this is the same thing as that. And it starts by drying up contact, asking questions and showing that you actually care.
NB! There were many more guests who also made the impression, but they hit me every week:)
Results
Everyone launched an online store, several groups got media talk in local newspapers – and many delivered over expectations. Here's a more complete picture of the width, quality and what students actually got to do.
Honorable Oslo – when simple idea meets good craftsmanship
The team cycled around Oslo, took their own pictures of iconic buildings, optimized them in AI and sold prints. The Project was a school example of how to combine content production, local pride and digital processing. They also tried to cooperate with the Architecture rebellion — an ambitious feature that shows how far students can get when they dare to try.
The Children's Book - Smaller Screen, More Dream
Parents want children to read more and look less on screen. This team delivered: AI generated children's books with Norwegian animals, Norwegian nature and Norwegian culture. The format was simple, price-friendly and met a very concrete need. Many test users reported that children actually liked books — a small but important validation.
Tide Water – four-week real community benefit
Four students, a beach and a promise: ‘For every X number of bracelets we sell, we clean a beach.’ They were mentioned in local newspapers, built a professional online shop and delivered a product with both meaning and commercial sustainability. A strong example of how good stories are selling.
Sleep Portal - one of the most mature concepts
Sleep is a massive problem area, and this team took it seriously. They built a portal with products, advice, tips and tools – and received good feedback from the target group. The Proof-of-concept was clear: the market is large and the target group is desperate for solutions.
Gleora - one of the most meaningful projects
The Gleora team made cups and mugs with positive messages for people with dementia. They also explored the possibility of cups with pictures of children and grandchildren to provide security and recognition. This project was done because students thought deeply about the target group and designed with empathy.
Current Oil - Perfect Use of Building on What already works
The team developed a hair oil based on an existing recipe from the mother to one of its members. They built a fire, made packaging, took pictures, tested the market – and sold for several thousand kroner in a short time. A strong example of starting in small with something genuine.
Limo Charms - a vital problem, solved in a simple way
Youths often go without reflex, although it increases the risk of accidents dramatically. The team developed small trendy charms with built-in reflex – a product that is both aesthetic and functional. Good audience understanding and smart use of design.
The whole: what these results mean
When 80 students, many without previous experience, are able to build real concepts, validate them, obtain sales, get media talk and present at Demo Day within four weeks, it shows that:
- tempo is not an obstacle in learning
- AI makes complex processes feasible
- clear frames are better than long lectures
- creativity becomes stronger when time is buttoned
- students get to far more than they think
This is not a course that just learn e-commerceSo let's say that this is the same thing as that. It trains skills like collaboration, structure, priority, problem solving, history storytelling, presentation, local anchoring and practical use of AI. Here you can see the video that the Communication Department posted from the Demoday.
Lessons
- Random teams work with clear frames (video explanation).
- PREAQ works in Amazon and in education!
- Compulsory attendance creates a better learning environment
- AI went from hype to craft.
- LinkedIn visibility created possibilities.
- Teamwork under pressure is similar to working life.
- Demo Day showed who had been practicing.
What I'm doing differently next time
- Several technical workshops (Shopify, Ads, CRO).
- Presentation technique practice.
- LinkedIn as part of the syllabus.
- Invite business earlier.
- A Plan B when NOA system not working.
The main insight
Good education is not about communicating more, but about giving responsibility, frameworks and a real problem to solve. When students have to think for themselves, something happens. When they have to deliver, more happens. When they use AI correctly, it happens a lot faster.
Four weeks. Eighty students. Real online stores. Real results. Future education is practical, digital, creative and AI-enhanced.