AI Essentials for Business Leaders

The AI course for business leaders who are done falling behind.

Your competitors are already AI fluent. Close the gap. This is AI training for executives and managers who don't code — the full skills library, plus two live calls where you bring the work you're actually stuck on and we fix it together.

See the curriculum
Money-back guaranteeOnly 15 seatsLive calls Sept 1 + Sept 8No code required
Only 15 spots
Skills Library + 2 Live Calls • Sept 1 + Sept 8
Two live calls—bring what you're stuck on, we fix it live
Step-by-step playbooks for real use cases
Walk away with things you built—not just theory
Know which AI tool to reach for—and when
No coding knowledge required—just bring your laptop
$795$495
Early bird ends
00d:00h:00m:00s
100% money-back guarantee • No questions asked

Trusted by non-technical leaders at

Strive Skin
Case Study
83%
Have No Training

Most professionals are winging it with AI. Formal training is your edge.

10x
Faster Research

What used to take hours takes minutes—once you know the frameworks.

Your Pace
Learn When Ready

Self-paced modules. Office hours when you need them.

You know the feeling.

Someone mentions AI in a meeting. You nod along. You've tried ChatGPT—it was fine. But you're not sure what you're missing.

Then a colleague does in 20 minutes what used to take you all afternoon. They weren't smarter. They just knew something you didn't.

That's the gap. And it's widening every week you wait.

Maybe your organization is too slow to let you touch AI at work. Committees, policies, risk assessments. Your company moves at the speed of committees. Your career doesn't have to.

The good news

The gap isn't about intelligence or technical ability. It's about frameworks. The right prompting techniques. Knowing which tool to use when. Understanding what's actually possible.

And it's about not being handed a library and left alone with it. You get the full set of skills and playbooks—plus two live calls where you bring your own work and we make it run.

Once you have them, everything changes.

Hours→Minutes

Skip the 200-hour learning curve. Get to results on day one.

Guessing→Knowing

Learn what your AI-fluent colleague already knows—and why their prompts work.

Theory→Builder

Your company doesn't need to adopt AI for you to adopt AI.

Two live calls. That's the bridge.

Close the gap

The offer

What you'll walk away with

Things you actually built—not just things you learned about

Step-by-step playbooks you'll use Monday

Not sure what you'd even do with AI? We'll give you the use cases AND walk you through them live. Emails, research, analysis, content, meetings—leave with repeatable systems for your actual work.

Typical result: A personal AI toolkit customized to your role—ready for Monday

Your first look at vibe coding

See what happens when you describe a tool in plain English and AI builds it for you. We'll demo the process live and show you what's possible—no coding required. This is the preview that hooks people.

Typical result: See your first tool built in real-time and understand what's possible

Research & analysis at 10x speed

Company research in 5 minutes. Competitive analysis on demand. Meeting summaries in seconds. Turn hours of grunt work into minutes.

Typical result: 10+ hours saved per week on research and analysis

Content & communication at scale

Emails that don't sound robotic. Personalization without the busywork. First drafts in seconds that actually sound like you.

Typical result: Hours saved weekly on emails, reports, and documentation

Prompt engineering framework

Stop getting generic AI outputs. Learn the exact structure that turns mediocre prompts into powerful ones—and understand WHY it works.

Typical result: 90% usable first drafts instead of endless revision cycles

AI fluency for your next move

Whether you want to lead AI at your current company or explore something entirely new. Know which tool to use, what's hype vs. real, and where AI creates real opportunity.

Typical result: Confidence to use AI daily, lead AI conversations, and see possibilities you couldn't before

Curriculum

What's inside

10 self-paced modules • 2 weekly Q&As • async help anytime

1–3 · Foundation

  • Introduction to AI

    What AI actually is, what it can do, and why it matters for your career.

  • Understanding How AI Thinks

    The mental models that make everything else click.

  • Which Tool to Use

    ChatGPT, Claude, Replit, Lovable—when to use each and why.

4–6 · Core Skills

  • The Prompting Framework

    The structure that separates mediocre results from exceptional output.

  • Context & Memory

    How to give AI the right context so it produces exactly what you need.

  • Hands-On Exercises

    Apply everything to real-world use cases. Research, content, analysis—done.

7–10 · Application

  • AI Quirks & Best Practices

    Avoid the mistakes that waste hours. Know the pitfalls before you hit them.

  • Building with AI (Vibe Coding)

    Describe what you want in plain English. Watch AI build it.

  • Homework, Practice & What's Next

    Practice exercises and your roadmap forward.

Live support

2 weekly Q&As

Cohort Q&A, feedback, and help with anything you need

Async help

Feedback & support

Get answers between office hours whenever you need them

Built-in

AI Tutor

Every chapter includes an AI tutor that explains, quizzes, and guides you

Start learning

Risk-free • 7-day money-back guarantee

Included with your enrollment

Your personal AI coach

Every chapter includes an AI Tutor that explains concepts, quizzes your understanding, and helps you apply what you learn to your real work.

Learn

Ask anything. Get explanations tailored to your level—no more rewatching videos hoping it clicks.

Practice

Quiz yourself on key concepts. Active recall is how knowledge actually sticks.

Train

Apply concepts to your specific work. Get guidance customized to your role and challenges.

Learn more about the AI Tutor

Proof

Results from professionals like you

“Last month I was just asking ChatGPT to write emails. Now I've built a client onboarding tool, and my team probably thinks I hired a developer.”
VP of Operations · Series B SaaS Startup

Michael Mittelman, Enterprise Customer Experience

“Last month I was just asking ChatGPT to write emails. Now I've built a client onboarding tool, and my team probably thinks I hired a developer.”

VP of Operations

Series B SaaS Startup

Built 3 internal tools in first month

“Research that used to take me half a day now takes 20 minutes. Competitor analysis, market research, customer interviews—all transformed.”

Strategy Consultant

Management Consulting Firm

10+ hours saved per week

“I finally understand what my engineering team is talking about. More importantly, I can now spec out AI features without needing to involve them in every conversation.”

Product Manager

Fintech Company

Reduced spec-to-build time by 40%

Angel Olavarria, Founder of Strive Skin

Josh Hein, CEO of Liftoff Sales Training

“The prompt engineering framework alone saved me. I was getting mediocre AI outputs for months. Now I get usable first drafts 90% of the time.”

Marketing Director

E-commerce Brand

Cut content creation time by 70%

Ready to learn the right way?

Reserve your seat

Self-paced · 2 weekly Q&As included

Fit

Who this is for

This is for you if:

  • You've watched the videos, maybe even taken a cert—but still can't DO anything with AI
  • You're a PM, ops leader, or manager who wants to build, not just understand
  • Your organization is too slow on AI and you need to skill up on your own
  • You want to stand out in your current role OR build something entirely new
  • You're ready to walk away with things you actually made—not just things you learned about

Not for you if:

  • You're already an AI power user who uses it daily
  • You want deep technical or developer-focused training
  • You prefer piecing it together from YouTube on your own
  • You think AI is just hype that won't affect your job

How to learn

The wrong way vs. the right way to learn AI

Most professionals waste months on approaches that don't work. Here's what separates those who struggle from those who succeed.

Not this

Watching random YouTube tutorials

No structure. No feedback. No one to ask when you get stuck.

Do this

Self-paced course with live office hours

Practice on your schedule. Get answers in live office hours.

Not this

Trying every AI tool hoping one sticks

Tool fatigue. Subscription creep. Still not sure what actually works.

Do this

Learn the two tools that matter most

ChatGPT and Claude, used properly. Everything else is noise.

Not this

Copy-pasting prompts from Twitter threads

Works once, fails the next time. No idea why.

Do this

Master the framework behind great prompts

Understand the 'why' so you can create your own.

Not this

Waiting until 'you have more time'

The gap between you and AI-fluent colleagues grows every month.

Do this

Learn at your pace. Office hours when you need them.

Start using what you learn the same day.

Your Instructor

From idea guy to builder

Mark Fershteyn - AI course instructor and founder of MasteringAI

Mark Fershteyn

CEO of Recapped.io • Former VP of Admissions at App Academy

I've built 20+ businesses and raised $8M+. I was always the “idea guy” who had to rely on engineers, designers, developers. Not anymore. Now I build anything I can imagine with AI—and I'm going to show you how to do the same.

A year ago, I couldn't write a single line of code. Today, I've built over 10 apps—all with AI. I don't teach theory. I teach you to build real things, fast.

20+ businesses built
$8M+ raised
10+ AI apps shipped
Zero coding background

Helped people land roles at elite companies

GoogleAmazonMetaMicrosoftAirbnbStripeUber
Skills Library + 2 Live Calls • September 1 & September 8, 2026

Your AI advantage starts here.

The full skills library, yours to keep — plus two live calls where you bring the work you're stuck on and we walk through it together. Walk away with things you built, not just things you learned.

What's included:

2 live hands-on calls — bring your real work
Self-paced course with 10 modules
Full skills & playbook library, yours to keep
AI Tutor built into every chapter
Step-by-step playbooks for real use cases
Hands-on with ChatGPT, Claude, Replit & Lovable
Prompt templates & frameworks
Additional 1:1 hours available after
12-month community access ($300 value)
7-day money-back guarantee
Early bird ends in
00d:00h:00m:00s
$795$495
Save $300 — price goes to $795 on Aug 25.

Limited to 15 seats • Library access starts today

100% money-back guarantee

Not satisfied? Get a full refund within 7 days, no questions asked. We're confident you'll find this valuable.

Ready to become AI-confident?

The full skills library. Two live calls where you bring your own work. Walk away with things you built, skills you'll use every day, and possibilities you hadn't considered.

Reserve your seat for $495

Risk-free • 7-day money-back guarantee

The people learning AI now will lead the people who don't.

After Essentials

Ready to put AI to work without you?

Essentials teaches you to use AI well. The AI Agents Course teaches you to build and manage a team of agents that does the work — email, call prep, projects, reporting — on Claude Code, Claude Cowork, and ChatGPT Codex.

See The AI Agents Course
FAQ

Common questions

Everything you need to know about AI Essentials

AI Essentials is for anyone who understands AI conceptually but can't DO anything with it yet. That includes executives, founders, managers, project managers, ops leaders, career-switchers, and business professionals. You don't need any technical background. It's perfect if you've watched the videos (or even earned a certification) but still can't build anything, if your organization is too slow on AI and you need to skill up on your own, or if you want to stand out at your current job OR build something entirely new.
The course covers 10 self-paced modules across three areas: Foundation (Introduction to AI, Understanding How AI Thinks, Which Tool to Use), Core Skills (The Prompting Framework, Context & Memory, Hands-On Exercises), and Application (AI Quirks & Best Practices, Building with AI / Vibe Coding, Homework & Practice, What's Next). You'll also get 2 live office hours for Q&A, async feedback and help, and an AI Tutor built into every chapter.
Absolutely not. This course is specifically designed for non-technical professionals. Mark, your instructor, is a CEO and former sales executive—not a developer. The entire course is taught from the perspective of a business professional who learned these tools and now uses them daily. If you can have a conversation, you can learn to use AI effectively.
Perfect—that's literally what we solve. Most people can't articulate a use case because they don't know what's possible yet. We don't expect you to show up with ideas. We'll GIVE you 10+ real use cases and build them together. By the end, you won't just know what AI can do—you'll have built things with it. This is the most common concern we hear, and it's exactly why the course exists.
Claude Code is an AI tool from Anthropic that can work autonomously on complex tasks—reading files, analyzing data, building tools, and automating workflows. 'Vibe coding' is the approach of describing what you want in plain English and letting AI build it for you. Unlike ChatGPT which just responds to prompts, Claude Code can actually do work for you—create spreadsheets, build simple apps, automate repetitive tasks. AI Essentials covers vibe coding fundamentals with hands-on shipping. For Claude Code mastery and a live cohort, the AI Builders Bootcamp goes deeper.
Three key differences: (1) Structure—instead of piecing together random videos, you get a complete curriculum designed for business professionals, (2) Live instruction—you can ask questions, get unstuck in real-time, and learn from others' questions, and (3) Hands-on practice—you'll actually do the work during the session, not just watch. Plus you get templates, frameworks, and 12 months of community access for ongoing support.
You'll need a laptop and internet connection. We'll help you set up accounts for ChatGPT, Claude, and Claude Code during the first hour. If you already have these accounts, great—but it's not required beforehand. We'll send a pre-course checklist a few days before to make sure you're ready.
The course is fully self-paced with 10 modules you can work through on your own schedule. Each module includes video lessons, hands-on exercises, and an AI Tutor that explains concepts and helps you apply them. You also get 2 live office hours where you can ask questions, get feedback, and work through challenges with Mark. Between sessions, you have async access to feedback and help whenever you need it.
No problem—the entire course is self-paced, so you can learn everything on your own schedule. The office hours are recorded, so you can watch them anytime. And you always have async access to feedback and help between office hours.
This isn't a $20 Udemy course or a free YouTube playlist. It's a complete self-paced course with 10 modules, live office hours, async support, an AI Tutor, templates, frameworks, and 12 months of community access—built by a CEO who uses these tools daily. Comparable executive AI training programs charge $2,000-$15,000. We've priced this to be accessible while still delivering real value. The regular price is $795—early bird saves you $300.
We offer a 100% money-back guarantee within 7 days, no questions asked. This is completely risk-free—if you attend the course and feel it didn't deliver on its promise to teach you practical AI skills you can use immediately, just email us and we'll refund your payment in full. No hoops, no hassle. We're confident you'll find it valuable, but if not, you're fully protected.
Mark Fershteyn — a founder who raised $8M+ in venture capital with no technical background, then put 1,000+ hours into AI and built 100+ working agents without writing a line of code. He's not a developer; he's a business leader who uses these tools daily to run his company and trains executives at a multibillion-dollar company. He created this course to hand non-technical professionals the shortcut he wishes someone had given him.
AI won't take your job—but someone who knows how to use AI might. The professionals who thrive in the next decade will be those who learn to work with AI as a force multiplier. This course teaches you exactly that: how to use AI to become more productive, not be replaced by it. The research shows that workers who learn AI skills are 13x more likely to develop other valuable skills as well.
This course gives you the foundation. You'll see what's possible and understand the tools. Some graduates go on to our advanced courses where they build and launch real products. At the essentials level, you'll save real time at work and open doors you didn't know existed.
You'll have access to: (1) The full recording to revisit anytime, (2) All templates and frameworks covered in the course, (3) 12 months of access to our private community where you can ask questions, share wins, and get help, and (4) Invitations to future office hours and advanced sessions. Many students continue building on what they learn for months after the course.
Yes—we're developing add-on courses for specific use cases: AI for Sales & GTM, Building with Claude Code (advanced), and AI Automation & Workflows. Students who complete AI Essentials get early access and discounts on these follow-up courses. But this foundation course is where everyone starts.
Extremely. Your project management background is actually a huge advantage. As AI becomes more powerful, managing AI workflows looks a lot like managing teams and processes—which is exactly what you already do. You're about to manage AI teams that work 24/7 and never call in sick. PMPs and ops professionals consistently tell us they get the most out of this course because they already think in systems and processes.
You get 2 live office hours with Mark where you can ask questions, get feedback on your work, and troubleshoot anything you're stuck on. Office hours are recorded so you can watch them even if you can't attend live. Between office hours, you have async access to feedback and help.