How Did You Build an Inventory Prototype Without a Coding Background?
Different locations in the company were using different ways to check inventory. The process was inconsistent and hard to use. My old answer would have been simple: tell everyone to look it up in Excel.
This time, I started with the real problem and kept refining it with AI. I ended up with a demo that combined inventory search with a scanner.
When I showed it to my boss, she said it solved a problem she had dealt with for years. The company sent the idea to its development team to evaluate for the new system.
A few sessions earlier, I had been watching other people build with AI and worrying that I was falling behind. Now something I had made was being seriously considered at work. That felt amazing.
Did You Think You Already Knew How to Use AI?
Before the class, I thought I was pretty good at using AI. I used it the way I used a browser: whenever I had a question, I opened a chat. I also used a few AI plug-ins with Excel at work.
Then I kept seeing people build products and software with AI, often without coding backgrounds. I realized that I was still mostly talking to GPT while they were making things.
I did not have a particular app in mind. I mostly felt that AI was moving fast and I did not want to fall behind. Looking back, I had not started building with AI yet.
Why Pay for a Class When Tutorials Are Free?
I had watched plenty of tutorials and searched YouTube for videos about AI and vibe coding. Watching how other people built things did not tell me what I should build.
Tina started with what I needed. I could bring a real problem from work or an idea in my head instead of finishing a tutorial and then trying to work out how it applied to my life.
We also talked about my work, strengths, and career. Even after you learn the tools, you still need to decide what to use them for.
What Else Did You Build?
I started building a personal AI app inspired by Jarvis from Iron Man. It is still unfinished. Eventually I want it to bring all the AI tools and systems I use into one place.
The company’s midyear reporting used to live mainly in PowerPoint and Excel. I built an interactive dashboard that made the information easier to understand. A shareholder said it was much clearer than the previous versions.
I also used the loop-engineering approach from class to build a daily AI brief that tracks new concepts, skills, and important product updates.
I came to class because I was afraid of falling behind. Then I built my own system for keeping up.
Did the Projects Change How You Solve Problems?
I now have an inventory scanner, several dashboards, a daily brief, and a half-built Jarvis. More importantly, I approach problems differently.
I used to think like a user of existing tools. Could Excel solve this? Could the current system handle it? Who should I ask to build it?
Now I start by asking: What is the real problem? Then I work with AI to see if I can build the solution myself. AI has made me faster. It has also changed what I think I can make.
How Do You Describe Yourself Now?
I do not want to be seen as someone who only works in operations anymore. I understand how the business works, and I can turn an AI idea into something people can see and test.
I still do not have a coding background, and I cannot build every production system on my own. But I can quickly turn business needs into demos and prototypes. The company can test the value before committing development resources.
I like to put it this way: I have no coding background, but now I can work like a one-person development team.
Was the Class Worth It?
My selfish answer is no. If someone takes the class, they may become my competitor one day. But yes, absolutely.
There are countless free tutorials, and I watched many of them. What makes Tina different is that she starts with who you are, what you care about, and what you are good at, then teaches the tools around that.
I learned more than AI skills. I began to see who I could become and where I wanted to go next. To me, that is priceless.