Optimal Path · May 9
The most valuable skill in software.
Writing code isn't the skill anymore. Knowing what to build and how to direct the build — that's the skill. This is the process I teach to get there. Every previous attendee shipped.
When
Saturday, May 9, 2026
10:00 AM – 1:30 PM PT
Format
3.5 hours, live on Zoom
Seat
$49
A-HA Check
Every previous attendee shipped.
100%
of previous attendees shipped a working product
100%
said they wanted to keep building after
3.5 hrs
from idea to deployed, end to end
The Optimal Path
Ten phases. One shipped product.
Complexity is the enemy of shipped. Every phase exists to cut complexity before it costs you a session. We move through all ten together.
Phase 01
Hallucinations
Know the two causes.
Before anything else, understand when and why AI invents things that aren't there. The fix isn't better prompts — it's better context. Get this wrong and nothing else works.
Phase 02
Begin with Curiosity
The Ignition.
Every shipped product starts with a real question you care about. Not a template, not a tutorial — something you want to exist. We find yours.
Phase 03
Define the User
Who is this for?
The user is the compass. Without one, the AI wanders. We name a specific person, their context, and what success looks like in their hands.
Phase 04
Research
Don't build yet.
What already exists? What patterns work? Fifteen minutes here saves three hours later. This is where the AI is most useful and most underused.
Phase 05
Markdown Architecture
Two levels.
A project brief and a build plan, both in plain markdown. This becomes your spec, your memory, and your contract with the AI. The doc is the product.
Phase 06
Mood Board
What should this feel like?
Taste is directable. We pull references — fonts, layouts, motion, voice — and give the AI something to aim at. Vibes aren't vague when they're specified.
Phase 07
Plan Mode
No code yet.
Before a single line is written, the AI proposes a plan. You read it like a PM reads a spec. Most bugs are prevented here, not fixed later.
Phase 08
Review the Plan — 3×
Three passes.
One pass for scope. One for simplicity. One for risk. Cut ruthlessly. Complexity is the enemy of shipped.
Phase 09
Build — One Sprint
One feature at a time.
Small diffs, frequent commits, working code at every checkpoint. You are the director, not the typist. Every A-HA Check confirms you're still on the path.
Phase 10
Deploy & Ship
The finish line.
Staging, deploy, real URL. You didn't just vibe. You shipped. And now you have a prompt library to compound into the next one.
“I'm 47 years old. I shipped my first web app by describing what I wanted. I still can't believe it's real.”— Previous attendee
Questions
Before you sign up.
Do I need to know how to code?
No. Half the previous attendees were non-developers. You'll leave with a working product regardless of your starting point.
What do I need beforehand?
A laptop, a Claude / Cursor / equivalent AI coding tool account, and one idea — however rough. I'll send a short prep email a few days ahead.
Is this recorded?
The session is live only — you learn by building in real time alongside the group. You keep what you build.
What if I can't make it?
Reply to your confirmation email before May 8 and I'll refund your seat. After that, I'll roll it over to the next cohort.