The Method
Ask AI to build you a 3-month course on anything. A new hobby, a short-term project, the thing that's been rattling around in your head. This entire website is the proof. It grew out of one such course, and I'm someone who hates coding.
- Steal the prompt below and swap in whatever you want to learn.
- Paste the finished course into YouTube's learning feature. It builds a playlist of 30 videos.
- Show up. A little time everyday make a lot of difference.
If you love it, keep going. Nothing says you're limited to one course or one season. Imagine if this is how you find your flame and give yourself a name.
If you hate it, quit. Just make sure quitting doesn't become a habit. Walking away after three months is a freedom, too. It doesn't have to be amazing at the end. You just needed to have tried.
An Example Prompt
You are a professional software developer and technical educator. I want you to make me a course where I become an expert in software development. The course should be 13 weeks long and take 105 minutes per week (15 minutes per day). Include all readings, lectures, homework, quizzes, exams, and anything else you find useful. By the end, I should have built a budgeting app that completes my weekly budget with the click of a button. Make sure the course makes me an expert at Claude Code. Before you begin, ask me 5 questions to help you tailor the course.
- RoleTell it who to be.
- TaskSay what you want to become good at.
- ParametersLength of the course and minutes per week.
- CurriculumList every part of a real course: readings, lectures, homework, quizzes, exams.
- CapstoneName the thing you'll have built at the end.
- DetailsAnything else you care about.
- QuestionsMake it ask you 3 to 10 questions before it writes a word.
Your turn
You are a professional [FIELD] and educator. I want a course where I become an expert in [SKILL]. It should be 13 weeks long at 105 minutes per week (15 minutes per day). Include all readings, lectures, homework, quizzes, exams, and anything else useful. By the end, I should have built [CAPSTONE]. Before you begin, ask me 5 questions to tailor the course.
Capstone Project
This is the part I think matters most. Learning is a lifelong mission, and I believe in it. But a capstone gives you something tangible, a trophy you can point at and say "I made that." Even better, if you pick the project well (like my budgeting app), it'll end up useful.
Not sure what to build? Let AI pitch you.
Tell it what you want to learn and ask for 10 potential projects, but make it ask you 5 questions first. Those questions are the secret ingredient. Human language is unexpectidly terrible. What you mean and what you typed are rarely the same thing, and an LLM only has your words to go on. A few questions of context closes that gap, and a generic answer becomes one tailored to you.
Note Taking
Write everything down. I like OneNote, though it needs a paid Microsoft Office subscription. Obsidian is free, and I've heard great things about it. A plain paper notebook works just as well. Whichever you choose:
- Dump the whole course in, with one page per week.
- Log your time each week.
- Capture notes, screenshots, and to-dos.
- Your future self will come back with zero context, so try to spell it out for them.
Time Will Tell
A single course won't make you an industry expert or a standout talent. You get out what you put in. 105 minutes a week for 13 weeks is real time and yields real results, and 30 or 60 minutes a day will take you further.
So why 15? It's enough to make an impact without becoming a burden, and after three months of consistency, it adds up. But experiment. If you're a fast learner or have prior experience, 5 minutes might do it.
Remember that time is fungible. Do your 15 minutes first thing in the morning, right before bed, or anywhere between. Or take all 105 minutes in one weekend sitting, which is under two hours. That works especially well for something like woodworking, where you need tools, materials, and a workshop you can only reach once a week.
Missed a day, or a whole week? Do the next 15 minutes. The course will wait for you. More or less, it's up to you.
Try it
Pick something you're curious about, copy the prompt, and start tonight.
Grab the template →Poke around
See what this method built.
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