AI Courses vs 1:1 Coaching:
Completion vs Collection.

Three reasons: 1) No accountability. Without deadlines or someone checking in, it's easy to skip a day, then a week, then forever. 2) No support when stuck. You hit a confusing concept, can't get help, and lose momentum. 3) No personalization. Courses teach content you might already know while skipping what you actually need. The flexibility that makes courses attractive is the same thing that makes them easy to abandon.

Four key differences: 1) Accountability. Regular sessions with a coach means someone notices if you fall behind. 2) Personalization. Your curriculum is built around YOUR gaps, not a generic path. 3) Direct support. When you're stuck, you get answers within days, not forum posts from years ago. 4) Focus. A coach identifies what you should NOT learn, saving months of unnecessary content.

Courses work well when: You have a strong track record of completing self-paced learning. You only need to fill specific, narrow gaps (not a complete career transition). You're highly disciplined and can create your own accountability. You have technical background to troubleshoot issues independently. Be honest with yourself. If you have 10 unfinished Udemy courses, another course won't be different.

Online courses: $0-$500 per course, but most people buy multiple and complete none. Real cost includes time wasted. 1:1 coaching: $3,000-$6,000 for 90 days of personalized guidance. The ROI question isn't which is cheaper upfront. It's which actually gets you the job. A $4K coaching investment that lands you a role 3 months faster pays for itself 10x over in salary gained.

Most clients invest 10-15 hours per week, but this can be flexible based on your schedule. We'll have weekly 1:1 calls plus time for you to work on projects and learning. The key is consistency. Regular, focused effort beats occasional marathons.

Accountability is the hidden variable in learning success. With courses, no one knows if you skip a week. With coaching, you have scheduled sessions, progress check-ins, and someone invested in your success. Studies show structured programs with accountability see 60-80%+ completion rates vs 5-15% for self-paced courses. For most people, accountability is worth more than perfect curriculum.

Not necessarily. While some programming experience is helpful, many of my clients have successfully transitioned from web development, data science, or other technical backgrounds. We'll assess your current skills during our strategy call and create a personalized plan that meets you where you are.

You become a member of the AI Native Engineer community, and you stay and keep going. Career transitions take different amounts of time for everyone, and I'm not going to abandon you if things take longer. You get ongoing support through good times and bad.

Online courses give you content. 1:1 coaching gives you a personalized roadmap, direct feedback on your work, career strategy, interview prep, and accountability. You get answers to your specific questions and guidance tailored to your unique situation instead of generic advice meant for everyone.

Investment details are discussed during the 30-minute strategy call, where we'll assess your goals and create a custom plan. The program is designed to pay for itself quickly through your increased salary. Most AI engineers see a 20-50% pay increase.

Absolutely. Most of my clients work full-time and make steady progress. We'll schedule calls at times that work for you and create a realistic plan that fits your schedule. Consistency matters more than intensity.

Probably not. If you couldn't complete them before, adding more courses won't change that. The issue isn't the courses. It's the lack of structure and accountability. Options: 1) Use existing courses as reference material while following a coached path. 2) Find an accountability partner to create external pressure. 3) Accept that self-paced learning isn't your style and invest in a structured alternative.

Yes, and this is often effective. A coach can recommend which specific courses or resources cover certain topics, then provide accountability to complete them and guidance to apply the concepts. You get the best of both: curated content at lower cost, plus personalization and accountability. Many coaching programs work this way, directing you to free or low-cost resources while providing the guidance layer on top.