Faisal Abid

AI Development for Junior Engineers

League

Shopistry

Vendasta

Rakuten

BrainStation

Founder at Interstellar Labs (Head of AI  Bitstrapped, Google Developer Expert)

Learn how to configure Cursor, Claude Code, and your terminal to create a productive, AI-augmented workflow.

Set Up Your AI-First Dev Environment

Understand when to use Claude, GPT-4, or others based on real engineering tasks—not just vibes.

Choose the Right Model for the Right Job

Go beyond “try this” prompting. Learn techniques that generate secure, maintainable, and context-aware code.

Prompting That Works

Get best practices for using LLMs safely—from API design to data privacy—so your code can go to prod, not just the demo.

Write Secure, Scalable Software with AI

Use ChatGPT and Gemini deep research search tools, and technical resources to uncover the best solution.

Solve Problems with Deep Research

The world we all live in: AI skills are the #1 driver of your career trajectoryIn 2024 AI is not optional—it's a requirement regardless of the job. But AI is moving so fast that many of us feel on the verge of being left behind. Which model is best at which task? When do I switch models when they come out every week? This isn't just another tech trend. Missing out on AI fluency has career-altering consequences. Longer job searches. Delayed promotions. And soon we'll start seeing vague statements about AI skills in the essential requirements of most tech jobs. But even though AI fluency is THE skill of the 21st century, no one has defined clearly what baseline AI skill expectations look like. The Challenge: Most of us are figuring out the most important skill of our professional lives on our own. How do you level up if you don't know what you're aiming at? That's why I created this course. I believe there are two critical career level-ups in 2024: 1) Understanding which human skills are AI durable and investing in them 2) Learning how to allocate work across human and artificial intelligence Your next ten years will be mostly shaped by these two factors. And this course is designed to make sure your next ten years are great ones by equipping you with the skills, baseline knowledge, and hands-on experience you need to get rolling. The GoalYou'll walk out of this course with more than just foundational knowledge of AI, an understanding of what different models can do, and hands-on skills applying models. You'll have spent time on your own durable human skills as well. You'll have discovered a sense of what you're good at that you can invest in as a human skill alongside evolving artificial intelligence. Ultimately, you'll walk out of this course with a personal toolkit to take you through the next decade with AI. How We'll Get There The AI Career Accelerator is an intensive 3-week program designed to supercharge your knowledge of your own durable skills, fast forward your AI proficiency, and get you going on your career goals—both at work today and for the next ten years. Hands-on Experience: Get practical skills with cutting-edge AI tools like Claude, Replit, Cursor, ChatPRD, ChatGPT, and Playground. Personal Skill Assessment: Figure out your own unique human skill fingerprint, and identify the parts of your skillset likely to remain durable even as AI grows more capable. Real-World Applications: Explore how AI is actually used in various industries and roles. Project-Based Learning: Develop an AI-powered project using a 'small bets' mindset, applying your new skills to real-world scenarios. Career Strategy: Put it all together with a career strategy that leverages both your human skills and a plan around how you want to leverage the skills you learn in class to keep growing as AI evolves. Stay Ahead: Master repeatable approaches to keeping up with AI developments and trends. What sets this course apart:First, what other course helps you figure out what you are good at as a person (that isn't changing in the age of AI) AND helps you level up AI fluency? Besides a laser focus on what really matters for your career, you'll get:1. Interactive live sessions with Nate2. Practical exercises in AI that go beyond theory3. A capstone project with personalized feedback4. A workable career plan in the age of AI5. Ongoing support through a dedicated Slack community Bonus: The Generalist AdvantageAs a hands-on mentor and coach, I've designed this course to stretch your skillset horizontally. My thesis is that generalists will thrive in the AI age, and this course is specifically designed so you develop a broader, more adaptable skill set that enables you to grow your career longterm. That means this course is for anyone in tech who's hungry to grow their AI skillset and multiply value at work and over the next decade. Here are a few examples: 1. Product managers can skill up on foundational AI tech and learn enough to begin using AI to help with PM tasks like customer sentiment analysis. 2. Engineers can figure out their own personal coding workflows in an experiment-friendly space (no prod code here) and develop a plan for growing their own human skillset over time. 3. Entrepreneurs can learn enough about AI foundational technologies to ensure they position products correctly, and get practice leveling up their own personal efficiency with AI. You get the idea! My goal is to get you to conviction and clarity on what you bring to the tech world, so you can develop your own personal thesis on how you add unique value in an AI-driven world. The world has never changed quicker, but hop in with me and let's figure out how to enjoy the ride!

Skill growth in the world of AI has fundamentally changed

Provide a brief description for each module as a way to sell the value of what students will be learning throughout the course.

First Module

Second Module

Third Module

Course syllabus

Focus on understanding AI basics and dive into how AI is shaping the career landscape in 2025.

Lesson 1: AI Foundations and the 2025 Career Landscape

Understand real-world AI use-cases and dig into interactive modules focused on understanding how to build with the new rules of the AI landscape.

Lesson 2: Real World AI Use-Cases and Applications

Pick a project and start getting hands-on with building! Work in small groups and get feedback and support as you build.

Lesson 3: Hands-On AI Project Workshop

Use custom prompts and small group conversation to begin thinking through how your own career is changing in the light of AI—you'll leave with tools and confidence to accelerate your career with your new AI skills.

Lesson 4: Building an AI-Leveraged Career Plan

Show off your progress building with AI and get group feedback as well as feedback form Nate live!

Demo Day - Jan 23, 2025 

Close out the course with an optional AMA with Nate, reflecting on learnings and getting extra wisdom for the journey ahead.

AMA (Ask Me Anything) with Nate - Jan 31, 2025

Course schedule

Tech Professionals﻿Product Managers, Engineers, Data Scientists&nbsp;leading AI initiatives.&nbsp;UX/UI Designers&nbsp;exploring AI's impact on experience

Leaders &amp; Founders Tech Leaders&nbsp;guiding AI adoption.&nbsp;C-Suite execs&nbsp;building AI culture.&nbsp;Startup Founders&nbsp;integrating AI into products

Career Advancers Career Changers&nbsp;targeting tech and AI roles in product.&nbsp;Side-gig builders looking to build a 5-9 cashflow-generator

Who is this course for

What you’ll get out of this course

Master key AI tools like Claude, ChatGPT (including Strawberry/o1 model), Replit, and Cursor. Apply these in real-world scenarios to boost your productivity and problem-solving abilities. Develop a personalized AI workflow that you can take back to work right away.

Identify three personal AI quick wins that will level up your career and deepen your personal AI fluency, regardless of your expertise level

Understand AI architecture and foundational concepts in Large Language Models (LLMs). Learn how these shape tech applications in your field. Develop skills to identify and evaluate AI opportunities across various business contexts, so you max your career leverage over time.

Build a repeatable assessment that helps you track how LLMs and other AI technologies are sharpening your specific tech vertical

Grasp AI macro trends, including investment patterns, emerging opportunity spaces, and talent market shifts. Craft a personalized AI-era career plan. Learn to position yourself as an AI-fluent generalist with deep expertise to drive value today at work and over the next 10 years.

Define personal "talent bets" based on long-term AI trends and build a plan to leverage these to accelerate your tech career

Develop strategies to stay current with evolving AI technologies. Cultivate a mindset for ongoing adaptation and growth in the rapidly changing AI landscape. Develop a concrete plan to accelerate your career and differentiate yourself and your tech impact as a "1 of 1" player.

Outline a strong and specific strategy to build and maintain a 5-year edge in your career leveraging AI + next steps to grow over time

Dive deep into the architecture of AI systems, particularly LLMs. Gain insights into how these technologies are applied across different tech domains. Even if you're non-tech, you'll know how transformers work, how attention works, and what reasoning tokens are for. Stay sharp!

Understand AI architecture and foundational concepts in Large Language Models (LLMs) + how these shape tech applications

Survey a wide range of real-world AI use-cases to understand how others in tech are using AI to solve hard problems at work. Develop a radar to identify AI disruptions in your job family and industry, informing product development at work as well as your own career pathway.

Grasp AI macro trends, including investment trends, emerging AI opportunity spaces, shifts in startup development, and talent market changes

Develop hands-on AI build experience through a portfolio-worthy project using a "small bets" mindset. Go from concept to completion, demonstrating your ability to create AI-powered solutions. Gain practical AI use-case fluency to integrate AI into existing products and process.

Survey a wide range of real-world AI use-cases, so you understand how others in tech are using AI to solve hard problems

This course isn't for:<ul><li>AI-fluent engineers focused only on tech implementation</li><li>Those seeking in-depth coding or AI research training</li><li>Established AI leaders with set strategies</li><li>Quick-fix seekers without learning commitment</li><li>Professionals who are content and not hungry to grow</li></ul>

Who is this course NOT for?

Master AI tools, build real projects, and supercharge your career growth in just 3 weeks

Nate Jones

March 2025 Cohort

May Cohort

In a focused 3 week span, engineers in this course will learn to create and deploy AI-powered applications from scratch. It's a hands-on journey that will take you from mastering OpenAI API basics to creating intricate Prompt Tooling systems. Week by week, you'll enhance your skills, starting with learning to effectively use Retrieval Augmented Generation for dynamic AI interactions. With each module, you'll tackle Code Generation with GPT-4, delve into Image Generation with tools like Dall-E, and implement Speech-to-Text functionalities with Whisper. But we don't stop at creation; you'll also gain expertise in running open source models, ensuring your applications are fine-tuned to your needs. The culmination of your learning will be the construction of your own AI Agent, encapsulating all the technologies and skills you've absorbed. These are all of the technologies we are seeing as requirements in the marketplace to land a job as an AI engineer — so If you're a software engineer looking to pivot into AI — this is for you.

Get competent and conversant in all major modalities and become an AI Engineer

We'll go over the projects for each topic in our live sessions so you can see how it's done, and get any outstanding questions answered.

Tuesday & Thursday

We have lots of reading and homework you can go through to fully immerse yourself in the material.

Weekly projects

Software Engineers looking to get a job in AI.

Indie-Hackers interested in building AI-powered applications

Develoeprs eager to learn how to get more productive through cutting-edge AI tools.

Gain a solid foundation in using OpenAI APIs for natural language processing tasks to enhance your applications.

OpenAI API Fundamentals

Master AI Memory/Context and Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) to ground responses in fact and improve user interaction with your AI.

Retrieval Augmented Generation

Learn how to generate code with GPT-4 to augment programming tasks and add new capabilities to your application through function calling/tool-use.

Code Generation

Explore image generation with tools like Dall-E, Stability AI, and Lexica to add visual AI capabilities to your projects.

Image Generation

Implement Speech-to-Text features in your applications using Whisper for more accessible and dynamic user interfaces.

Speech-To-Text

Understand the process of finetuning and running open source models to tailor AI behavior to your specific needs.

Open Source Models and Fine Tuning

Complete the journey by building your first AI agent, integrating the various tools and techniques learned into a cohesive project.

AI Agents

From Dabbling To Complete Competency: Learn how to build real-world working AI products

Shawn "Swyx" Wang

Founder at Smol.ai

Noah Hein

AI Consultant

Cohort 4

Cohort 5

The challenge: most people do not understand the reasons why products like ChatGPT, Claude, or Cursor respond the way they do. Because of this, they also don't understand how to get what they want and need out of AI tools. Even power users who constantly talk to AI products every day aren't necessarily getting everything out of it. And as the world of work and productivity change, as AI becomes ever more agentic and capable of taking over our systems, processes, and tasks, it is essential to become excellent at its use to get and stay ahead. Every user needs to understand not just "prompt engineering," as you've heard described elsewhere.It's more fundamental than that. It's...• An understanding of how modern language models are influenced by even the slightest change to your prompt• The nuances of how different tools are 'packaged' (using ChatGPT is very different from using GPT-4.5 integrated in a third party product)• The incredible power of reflective techniques – the best outputs are 5 to 7 messages after your initial prompt This 3-day intensive will cover the above, and so much more, with the outcome of getting you to become fluent in talking to AI systems, including large language models and other generative AI modalities (like image &amp; video generation). And when I say "fluent," I mean something very specific. Just as language fluency isn't about memorizing phrases from a travel guidebook, AI fluency isn't about collecting prompts from Twitter. True fluency means understanding the deeper patterns of interaction -- knowing when to push, when to pivot, and most importantly, why. Consider this: most courses teach you what to say to AI. This course teaches you how to think about AI conversation. It's the difference between learning to order coffee in French versus understanding why French speakers structure their thoughts the way they do. We'll cover:• How to consistently and easily judge new models as they're released for task-specific competence• Nuances between reasoning, agentic, task-based, and primitive models• Current power rankings based on real-world application (not biased evals) We'll play with advanced uses of:• Foundational SOTA models, like GPT 4.5, o3, 4o-mini, Gemini 2.5 Pro, Grok 3, Claude Sonnet 3.7• Open source models like Llama 4 and DeepSeek-V3• Agentic tools like Replit, Manus, GenSpark, and Devin• Wrapper tools like Gamma, Napkin, and Perplexity• My cheat code apps to 10x your workflow, both in ease and speed I'll share my theory on the future of work.And the OSD Framework I've developed to help people get ahead of the curve.You'll learn about the 3 core muscles I believe every job will distill down to:• Orchestration, the architect of AI-enabled systems• Supervision, the human-in-the-loop steering or polishing outputs• Delivery, the last-mile getting AI value to its end-user Day 1Mental Models &amp; Mechanics• What AI knows versus what it can do; how AI reads, thinks, and speaks, + biases and limits• The hidden landscape of latent space, embeddings, and vectors - what does it all mean for your usage?• Differences in AI paradigms, LLM models, genAI models, and the applications that sit on top of them Day 2Conversations &amp; Debugging• Ask the unaskable: form questions that inspire LLMs to answer you; learn the DRIVE context framework• Use layered prompting and multi-turn conversations for your most advanced queries and topics• Get AI to "think out loud," giving you more data, more insights, and the ability to iterate over time Day 3Advanced Applications• Use reflective and agentic techniques + products to get AI "working for you" - soon, you'll have a team• Get multi-modal - combine models, model types, and apps to generate fast, impactful outputs• Learn how to use non-AI workflow applications to move dramatically faster and make advanced AI use 10x easier for yourself• &amp; more: analysis, tools, fine-tuning, hallucinations, ethical considerations, and real world use And more• retrieval augmented generation (RAG), code use, integration + extensions, voice-based nuances• chain of thought, reflection, context windows, and other AI concepts explained• how do apps make use of LLMs, how is AI being integrated by companies across tech At the end of this 3-day intensive, you'll...• be able to transform vague ideas into incredible outputs, whether you're brainstorming, working with data and statistics, coding with AI, using it for workflow, asking it knowledge questions, utilizing it for research, adopting it as a content companion, or using it in an academic setting• troubleshoot and debug AI responses - you'll know when you've hit a real limit versus a bug or user error, unlocking the boundaries of what AI can do before anyone else -- no matter the field you're in• future-proof your skills - because you're going to have a deep understanding of how these products work, you'll remain capable of using them as the models are continuously updated and evolved, even as the rapid pace of AI development continues It's about harnessing the power of this transformative technology to amplify your own creativity, productivity, and impact on the world. Get ready to go beyond "prompt engineering" and embark on a journey to truly master the art and science of communicating with AI. Are you ready to unlock the conversation?

Everything's changing. Become top 0.5% at using AI to future-proof yourself.

3 days of live classes

Can't make it to the live classes or want to watch them again later? We'll make each day's content available same-day for all students.

Access recordings forever

There will be several projects and optional group workshops to turn the content into usable muscle - attend live for instructor feedback, or access projects, examples, and templates at your own pace - including permanent access after the course ends.

Daily projects (optional)

Non-technical or semi-technical professionals (throughout knowledge work) looking to gain an upper hand in this AI moment.

Anyone who has felt the gap between AI's potential, what they hear about what it can do, and their ability to access the upside.

NOT for engineers who already use LLM copilots every day. NOT for people looking for quick prompt templates.

You'll learn about the cognitive architecture that underpins not just LLMs, but the way that products and apps are built around them. These patterns will work across AI models and will continue working as systems evolve.

Instead of AI prompt templates, learn conversational design patterns

It's hard for even the most AI-passionate people to integrate and reliably, consistency use AI products. I'll give you systems, shortcuts, and methods for making it second nature -- we'll build your AI muscle.

Instead of treating ChatGPT like a magic answer box, you'll make it a constant companion

"Why does it hallucinate here, but not there? When should I restart a conversation versus redirect it? Why does it sometimes forget what we just discussed? How does its sourcing work? When is more context good versus bad?" You'll know. And you'll know what to do next.

Instead of getting frustrated, you'll know how to iterate your way to results

You'll master the art of progressive refinement, building complex outputs and systems, and be able to leverage all of this to be top .5% in your field -- whether that's at work, with a hobby, with a side project, or with something personal.

Instead of being left behind, you'll get and stay ahead of the AI curve

Develop a foundational understanding of how AI & LLMs see, hear, and read your input, + how to use them to 10x your output speed and impact.

Sherveen Mashayekhi

Founder & CEO @ Free Agency; Product Leader @ Stella (AI job matching), Toptal

Cohort 2

Cohort 3

The ChallengeWhen you start work each day, where’s the first place you look: your goals or someone else’s messages? Your days are filled with:🗓️ back-to-back meetings,🚀 sky-high customer or investor expectations,⏱️ wishes that your team could move faster sooner,🔥 wishes that you could move even faster and work on what really matters instead of fighting fires. You start each day with the best intentions, but somehow find yourself constantly reacting instead of leading.&nbsp;Sure, it would be nice to focus on your own goals, but you care about those other people (or at least some of them 😁). They’re colleagues and customers, family and friends... How can you collaborate with them responsively without forsaking your goals and becoming just a (re-)Actor in their story? 🎬 ✨ You wonder if AI can help, you wonder how other leaders are using AI to manage it all and manage their teams--but honestly, who's got the time to figure that out? ⏳ As you try to move faster, people fall short of your expectations and their potential. It causes friction and frustration (even if you hide it well). It's uncomfortable to call out, so you avoid giving feedback or mention it lightly, which makes the situation more uncomfortable. Eventually, you decide to give feedback. Sometimes it goes okay. Often, you try to move through and out of the conversation as quickly as possible because it feels so awkward. Growth and improvements rarely last. You take on more work yourself to get it done. The Solution (Evidence-based. Immediately applicable.)⏱️&nbsp;EVERYTHING YOU READ BELOW WILL BE ORIENTED TO IMMEDIATE APPLICATION DURING THE COURSE ⏱️What if you could shift from being a re-Actor in someone else's story to becoming the (co-) Author of your own? This course will support you, step by step, in building your Operating System to make this shift. Fancy apps aren't enough. Nor are bursts of motivation. A sustainable Operating System has 3 features:🧰 Tools (simple enough to keep using, and amplified by AI)🔁&nbsp;Habits (the tools don't use themselves...except for some of the AI ones we'll build)🧠 Mindsets (you can "productively" spend your life responding to other people's messages and requests--or build something that matters) No, "perfection" isn't possible (or even desirable). But our days--and our results--completely shift when we focus our attention systematically instead of ad-hoc and reactively. And our conversations shift when we stop trying to fix people and start inspiring them to take action and grow. We teach you how to do this by using straightforward approaches that reliably transform defensiveness and friction into self-reflection, connection, and motivation to grow. You will start to look forward to feedback conversations because you will know how to use them as powerful tools for building trust and deepening connection. You will also explore your own mindsets and beliefs around feedback, identifying your own patterns around conflict avoidance, people-pleasing, and controlling behaviors. AI is woven throughout the course, including:1️⃣ building your own Custom GPTs2️⃣&nbsp;mastering your calendar3️⃣ using AI as a practice partner for difficult conversations and coaching skills4️⃣ helping your team use AI, and so much more! Once you've shifted the way you manage yourself and lead your team conversations, applying evidence-based approaches tested with 1000s of managers and amplified with AI, the whole game becomes fun again. Bonus:📝 You will also get 5 step-by-step facilitation guides for sharing and teaching your team members everything we cover in this course. This helps establish shared language and frameworks within your team/organization, and positions you as the leader of change. 📖&nbsp;You'll also get our 20-page Offsite Playbook with step-by-step guidance on how to design and facilitate unforgettable team and company gatherings. 🚀 And you'll get to do this while in a practice lab with other high-growth leaders.

Spend your days fighting fires or each other?

Sundays (+ 1 Thursday)

Weekly Office Hours

High-Growth ManagersReady to move out of IC mode, you want to be the inspiring leader people thank for the rest of their careers.

ExecutivesYou know there's a better way than back-to-back meetings everyday. To scale your impact, you know you must scale yourself first

Startup FoundersYou're expanding your focus from building a product to building a team. And to do so, you need the team to step up fast.

You'll have the Inner and Outer Game in place:<ul><li>A systematic set of habits, tools, and mindsets to define What Matters Most each day and week</li><li>You'll be using your emotions as signals for what needs to happen next</li><li>Your mind will be at ease</li></ul>

Clear Focus & Emotional Balance

Whether you're currently intimidated by AI, curious, or all-in, you will:<ul><li>know exactly how to leverage Claude and ChatGPT to improve your skills and help you prepare for key conversations</li><li>have your own CustomGPT to do a recurring management task FOR you</li></ul>

AI As Your Ally (including your own CustomGPT)

<ul><li>Next Actions template (simplest tool possible to stay organized)</li><li>Weekly Preview Checklist (define what matters most and who should do it)</li><li>Daily Defining Checklist</li></ul>

The Operating System (feel on top of your s***)

<ul><li>Know how to decide WHAT to delegate to increase your leverage</li><li>Know HOW to delegate (to a person or AI) in ways that build confidence and follow-through</li></ul>

The Leverage Framework

<ul><li>GAIN Template for how to structure feedback conversations that inspire response-ability, action, and growth</li><li>how to use AI to prepare and practice</li></ul>

GAIN Feedback Framework

<ul><li>GROW Template for coaching conversations</li><li>The key skill to coach effectively</li><li>Know the difference between a feedback and a coaching conversation</li><li>how to use AI to practice and get feedback on a coaching conversation</li></ul>

GROW Coaching Framework

What if you felt on top of everything and your team were aligning and growing through every conversation with you?

Lightning Lessons

AI Development for Junior Engineers