AI Coding
Essentials
AI tools let developers work at superhuman speed.
Here's the thing, if you know how to use AI properly, you can accomplish in hours what used to take days.
This course will transform your development practice and help you build smarter applications while multiplying your productivity.
Hi I'm JV,
I'm passionate about helping people make great software.
In my 25 years of coding and 12 years teaching development, I've never seen anything impact my profession as much as AI.
It has changed how I build, what I build, as well as how I teach and learn.
My main focus for the last two and a half years has been keeping up with AI and how it is changing my profession.
I would love to help you navigate this shift so you can stay ahead of the curve.
Build at superhuman speed
Since 2022, AI has fundamentally changed how software gets built. Developers who master AI-powered workflows ship 10x more code with higher quality.
What if you could code like the top 1%?
For most developers, AI is just fancy autocomplete. They install Copilot, accept suggestions, and hope for the best. Even experienced developers barely scratch the surface of what's possible.
With the right techniques, AI becomes your coding superpower. You can refactor entire codebases in hours, build features 10x faster, and create intelligent applications that adapt to user needs.
So, if you want to stay competitive, ship more ambitious projects, or simply get more done with less stress, then this course is for you.
Here are the results you can expect in 6 weeks
Unlock These AI Capabilities:
- 1.Transform your development workflow with AI-powered coding techniques that dramatically reduce time spent on repetitive tasks
- 2.Build AI-enhanced applications that leverage large language models through abstraction libraries
- 3.Implement retrieval systems that combine your data with AI capabilities
- 4.Create multimodal experiences integrating voice, text, images and other media with AI
- 5.Design ethical guardrails for responsible AI implementation in production applications
- 6.Deploy autonomous AI agents that can perform complex tasks with minimal supervision
From AI-curious to AI-powered in just 6 weeks
Whether you're dabbling with Copilot or haven't touched AI tools yet, this course transforms you into an AI-powered developer.
Throughout the course, you'll build real AI applications that solve actual problems, with proven techniques that multiply your capabilities.
By the end, you won't just understand AI – you'll wield it like a master craftsman, building software that seemed impossible before.
Week 1: AI-Powered Coding
Build a foundation for AI-enhanced development practices
- Master effective prompting techniques to get consistently useful results from AI assistants
- Integrate AI tools into your existing development environment and workflow
- Learn patterns for delegating appropriate tasks to AI while maintaining quality control
- Develop strategies for using AI to accelerate code generation, documentation, and testing
Week 2: Abstraction Libraries and APIs
Implement AI capabilities through simplified frameworks
- Explore key abstraction libraries that make LLM integration straightforward
- Build applications that leverage AI capabilities without deep ML expertise
- Understand best practices for working with AI APIs and managing costs
- Create reusable components for common AI implementation patterns
Week 3: Evaluation, Workflow & Observability
Establish robust practices for AI application development
- Implement proper testing and evaluation frameworks for AI components
- Set up monitoring systems to track AI system performance and behavior
- Create workflows for continuous improvement of AI-powered features
- Learn techniques for debugging and refining AI-generated solutions
Week 4: Retrieval Augmented Generation
Enhance AI systems with domain-specific knowledge
- Build vector databases to store and retrieve relevant information
- Implement semantic search to find contextually appropriate information
- Create context-aware applications that combine your data with AI capabilities
- Develop techniques for managing and updating knowledge bases
Week 5: Multimodal AI
Create rich experiences combining multiple media types
- Integrate text, image, audio, and other media types in AI applications
- Build voice powered agents that can phone your users
- Build image generation pipelines that you can control programmatically
- Build applications that combine multiple AI capabilities into cohesive experiences
Week 6: Agent-Based AI Systems
Design and deploy autonomous AI solutions
- Create AI agents that can plan and execute multi-step processes
- Implement tool-using capabilities that extend AI functionality
- Develop oversight mechanisms and guardrails for autonomous systems
- Build systems where multiple AI components work together to solve complex problems
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Meet the teaching team
I've been working with this handpicked team of Dev Academy alumni on commercial projects for over a year.
Each excels at learning, teaching, coding, and AI development – and I'm excited to now be teaching alongside them to help you bridge the gap between AI no-code tools and custom development.
Joshua Vial
JV studied computer science in the late 90s, has been programming professionally ever since. He co-founded Dev Academy in 2013, and has been consulting and teaching independently since 2023.
JV: you've already heard enough about me, I'm thrilled to introduce you to the team.
Tadhg Connolly
Tadhg graduated Dev Academy in 2021, likes having fun and believes learning is most effective when it's enjoyable.
When not exploring new technologies, they enjoy finding creative solutions to complex problems. Prior to their developer arc they studied and tutored psychology. Amateur psychoanalysis not included in base price.
JV: Unfortunately, Tadhg is better than me at chess. For now.
Jen Hurley
Jen both studied and taught at Dev Academy in 2023, and loves creating inclusive learning environments that demystify software development.
They meet learners where they are, encouraging exploration and making technology accessible through a supportive approach that transforms "I can't code" into "I just haven't coded yet."
JV: I've had to bribe the fundsorter.com team to make some of Jen's time available for teaching. They are big fans.
Got Questions?
How much time do I need?
3 - 5 hours per week. On the Essentials plan you can get by with three hours per week but you will likely leave a few things to come back to. You have lifetime access to the course materials.
For Premium plans the time requirements can be customizable to your availability.
Will this course be relevant as AI tools continue to evolve?
Absolutely. You'll learn foundational patterns and implementation techniques that apply across evolving AI tools. The skills you gain will remain relevant even as specific AI tools change.
When will the calls be?
The weekly Q&A session will be on Wednesdays 10.00am NZ time (GMT-13). The session will be recorded and include questions from discord for those who can't make it live.
Private coaching will be scheduled ad hoc based on student preferences.
Do I need to pay for any AI tools?
Not unless you want to. All of the tools covered in the course have free plans, and you will be able to complete the course without spending money on tools.
The free plans have a lot of limitations and you won't be able to build as much (or as quickly) as if you choose to spend money.
One goal of the course is to give you a good understanding of the different tools so you can get the most bang for your buck if you decide to spend.
Is there a guarantee?
Yes, I offer a 14-day satisfaction guarantee. If you're not completely satisfied with the course content after two weeks, I'll provide a full refund.
