From Non-Coder to Builder
Coding with AI for People Who Don't Code Yet
A visual tutorial for smart people who don't code yet.
Start the Tutorial Download Cheat Sheet (PDF)
What You'll Learn
You'll learn to build working software using AI as your coding partner. No programming experience required.
By the end of this tutorial, you'll be able to:
- Describe what you need and get working code
- Debug errors without understanding every line
- Build real tools that solve real problems
- Know when to trust AI and when to verify
Tutorial Overview
Part 1: Foundations
The mental models. Understand these and everything else makes sense.
| Chapter | Topic | What You Learn |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Core Partnership | How you and AI collaborate |
| 2 | The Loop | The work cycle: describe, get, run, evaluate |
| 3 | Six Operations | Everything you can do with AI |
Part 2: Skills
The techniques that make you effective.
| Chapter | Topic | What You Learn |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Decomposition | Breaking big tasks into small ones |
| 5 | Precision | Writing prompts that work |
| 6 | Feedback | Telling AI what's wrong |
| 7 | Context | What AI can and cannot see |
| 8 | When to Restart | Knowing when to cut losses |
Part 3: Problems
What goes wrong and how to fix it.
| Chapter | Topic | What You Learn |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Common Pitfalls | Mistakes everyone makes |
| 10 | Debugging | Finding and fixing errors |
| 11 | Getting Unstuck | Escape routes when stuck |
Part 4: Code Literacy
Understanding code without becoming a programmer.
| Chapter | Topic | What You Learn |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | Reading Code | Making sense of what AI gives you |
| 13 | Core Concepts | Variables, conditions, loops |
| 14 | Functions and Libraries | Reusable code and imports |
| 15 | Data and Files | Working with information |
| 16 | Quality | Testing and project structure |
Part 5: Building
Put it all together and build something real.
| Chapter | Topic | What You Learn |
|---|---|---|
| 17 | Your First Project | From idea to working code |
| 18 | Moving Forward | Growing your skills |
Quick Setup
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
claude
Quick Reference
| Operation | Example Prompt |
|---|---|
| Create | "Create a function that calculates bolt stress" |
| Read | "Explain what this code does" |
| Edit | "Change this to use metric units" |
| Run | Run the code yourself |
| Fix | "I'm getting this error: [paste error]. Fix it." |
| Extend | "Add a feature to export results to CSV" |
Download the complete Cheat Sheet (PDF)
The Core Insight
You provide direction. AI provides code. Together, you build.
You're not replacing yourself with AI. You're amplifying yourself. Think of it like power tools—a nail gun doesn't replace the carpenter, it makes the carpenter faster.