MCPs decoded + builder showcase 🚀
November 7th 2025 Edition
Hey NYC No-Coders! đź‘‹
The momentum is building. After diving into advanced AI agents, we've heard one question over and over: "So when exactly do I use an MCP?" We're answering that November 11th. But that's just the warm-up—because November 22nd, we're doing something we've never done before. Mark your calendars. ⚡
đź“‹ In This Edition
🎯 Next Up: MCPs Demystified - Nov 11th
🚀 Save the Date: Pocket Conference - Nov 22nd
🙏 Sponsor Love: Make + XRay.Tech
📢 Call for Speakers: Show us what you've built
🗓️ Next Up: Demystifying MCPs
When: Monday, November 11th, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Where: Crystal Lake Brooklyn, 647 Grand St, Williamsburg
What to Expect: The practical guide to Model Context Protocol that actually makes sense
You've been building AI agents. You've heard about MCPs. And at some point you've thought: "Wait, so when do I actually use this thing?" This workshop answers that question—and shows you how to do it.
What's happening:
- What MCPs actually are (and when to use them vs. Tools)
- How to connect your AI agent to an MCP server
- Real examples: database connections, file systems, APIs
- When to build vs. when to plug into an MCP
The Build: We'll connect an AI agent to an MCP server live, giving it capabilities it couldn't have with tools alone. No theory. Just hands-on building.
This workshop is for you if you've:
- Built at least one AI agent
- Hit the limits of what tools can do
- Wondered when MCPs are actually necessary
- Want to expand what your agents can access
What to bring: Your laptop, a Make.com account (or similar platform), and your MCP questions. Come ready to build and finally understand when to say "I need an MCP for this."
🚀 Save the Date: POCKET CONFERENCE
When: Saturday, November 22nd, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Where: Chinatown, NYC
What to Expect: Everything you love about our meetups, amplified into one epic day
We're going big. Our Pocket Conference is happening November 22nd, and it's designed for one thing: helping builders like you level up.
What's happening:
- Workshops on AI Agents, vibe coding, and cutting-edge no-code tools
- Expert talks from builders shipping real products
- Special guest: Doc Williams in an intimate fireside chat
- Food & beverages provided throughout the day
- Exclusive No-Code: NYC merch
- Unmatched networking with 100+ builders, founders, and creators
Whether you're just getting started or deep in the trenches, this day is for builders at every level. Limited to 100 attendees. FREE (seriously).
📣 Want to be part of the program? We're looking for speakers and workshop leaders to share their expertise. Whether you want to lead a hands-on session, give a talk about your builder journey, or demo a tool you're obsessed with—we want to hear from you.
More details including full schedule, confirmed speakers, and registration coming soon. This will be our biggest event of the year.
🙌 A Special Thanks to Our Sponsors
The momentum we're building—from advanced workshops to our first-ever conference—is only possible because of the partners who believe in this community.
Make.com - Powering Every Build
Here's the thing about Make: every workshop we run with Make is a hands-on session where builders ship something real. When we demystify MCPs on November 11th, you'll walk away with the knowledge to connect your Make AI agents to MCP servers live.
It's not just a tool we recommend. It's been a great way for our community to get introduced to AI Agents. Visual, powerful, and great no matter if you're connecting your first API or architecting a multi-agent system.
XRay.Tech - The Experts Behind the Scenes
When Mark Campos led our Advanced AI Agents workshop, something clicked for everyone in the room. Not only did Mark wall through some advanced features, he showed us how to think about automation differently. That's what XRay brings: the expertise to guide you through the technical stuff, the experience to help you avoid costly mistakes, and the genuine care to see you succeed.
As we gear up for Pocket Conference, XRay continues to show up for this community. When you're ready to take your automation game to the next level, or when you need partners who actually know this space inside and out, they're who you call.
Connect with XRay.Tech here →
đź“Ł Show Us What You've Built
Pocket Conference isn't just about learning—it's about celebrating what this community is building. If you've shipped something, if you've solved a gnarly problem, if you've discovered a workflow that changed your business—we want you on stage (or in a workshop, or demoing at a table).
We're looking for:
- Workshop leaders who want to teach hands-on skills
- Builders ready to share their journey and lessons learned
- Tool demos that showcase what's possible
- Projects that push the boundaries of no-code/AI
Got something? Apply here. Applications close soon—this lineup is filling up fast.
Until Next Time...
November 11th: we're cracking the MCP code. November 22nd: we're bringing 100 builders together for our most ambitious event yet. Between now and then, keep building, keep shipping, and if you've got something worth sharing at Pocket Conference, don't sleep on that application.
Stay connected:
- See all our events on Luma
- Join our LinkedIn group
- Apply to speak/demo at Pocket Conference before spots fill up
Keep building (and get ready for November),
Erik & Al
The No-Code: NYC Team
Forward this newsletter to fellow builders! The best events are the ones where everyone shows up ready to ship.
This newsletter is made possible by our amazing sponsors, Make.com and XRay.Tech. Thank you for supporting our community! 🙏