Course 2

Build your first app with AI

You describe what you want in everyday language, and an AI coding partner drafts and adjusts the software while you steer. No computer science degree required, just curiosity and willingness to try.

What is vibe coding?

Vibe coding means you stay in plain English while a coding agent turns your ideas into working software. You say what the app should do, how it should feel, and what should happen when someone clicks a button. The agent proposes files, edits, and fixes. You read the results, ask for changes, and keep going until it feels right.

You are still in charge. The agent is fast at typing and remembering details, but you decide what ships. That back-and-forth is the skill you are building here, not memorizing syntax. If you can explain a small business process or a habit you want to support with software, you have enough to start.

When something breaks, you describe the problem and try again. Each round makes the picture clearer for you and for the agent. You do not need to know every technical term up front. You will learn the words as they matter for what you are building.

What you will build

By the end of this course path you will have a real web application: something people can open in a browser, sign into, and use. You will connect it to a database, deploy it so it lives on a public URL with your own domain, and add automated tests so changes do not break what already works.

A working app with pages people can click through
Accounts and data stored safely on a server
A deployment on a real URL with DNS pointed at your domain
Tests that run when you change code

What you will learn along the way

None of this is a wall you climb before you start. You will pick it up as you build:

How to keep versions of your project so you can undo mistakes
How to run small tests before you ship a change
How deployment and hosting fit together
How to store secrets and settings without pasting passwords into chat
Basics of securing logins and data in a small app

Pick your tool

Choose the coding environment you want to learn in. Each track covers the same outcome with tool-specific steps. You can switch later if your needs change.

Find your tool

Question 1 of 3

Are you comfortable using a terminal?

Cursor

Visual learners who want to see changes in real time

Cost: Free tier available, Pro $20/month
Limitation: Requires a local code editor install

Claude Code

People comfortable with a terminal

Cost: Free with Claude account, usage limits apply
Limitation: Terminal only - no visual editor

Windsurf

Beginners who want the simplest setup

Cost: Free tier available
Limitation: Smaller model selection than Cursor