🐝 The Sting
Learn AI in public. Embrace the ridicule. Ship daily. Share experience and results. Measure.
Things built: 5 People watching: 3 Cashflow:-$20
🤖 🧠 Learning
Teaching myself to teach AI to teach me how to build an SEO optimized directory with AI. Day Three
These early iterations aren’t the point of the exercise which is to learn how to use AI to make SEO optimized directories. The whole point is learning how to vibe code a website and have AI do most of the work. So far, I’m doing most of the work.
It’s not a bad thing. In fact, Claude’s insistence to teach me basic HTML and Java have both proven to be useful and are a nice balance to the much quicker projects with Gemini which seems more cognisant of the end goal and how little of this early training is ultimately useful.
The learning part, however, is a means to an end: building things. It’s very tempting to stay in learning mode, because it feels productive, progressive, like you’re putting real effort in. But if the end is making things and not learning to make things, perspective is called for.
I’m here to automate.
🍯 🦡 Building
What did I ship today?
The Gemini take on building project two is more about showing how to make and connect multiple web pages with easy navigation and much less focussed on JSON files and tweaking SEO.
In parallel, I want to turn this training I’m doing into something sharable. So far there is a document with the steps for the two projects. In parallel, I’ve asked the 🤖 to create a prompt that would recreate the training the way I am experiencing it. Here’s a first take on this:
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
MASTER PROMPT FOR SEO DIRECTORY COURSE
5-Project Web Development Training with AI
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
COPY EVERYTHING BELOW THIS LINE AND PASTE INTO A NEW CLAUDE CONVERSATION:
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
I want to learn how to build an SEO-rich local business directory for my town using AI. I'm a complete beginner with no coding experience.
Please teach me through 5 progressively challenging projects:
Project 1: Static HTML directory
Project 2: Dynamic directory with JavaScript, JSON, search, filters, images, and interactive maps
Project 3: Multi-page site with Python static site generator
Project 4: Full-stack app with database and admin panel
Project 5: Production-ready platform with advanced AI automation
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
CRITICAL TEACHING REQUIREMENTS
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
1. I'm a COMPLETE beginner - assume I know NOTHING about coding, web development, or technical tools.
2. For EVERY step, provide:
• COMPLETE code snippets (not just descriptions)
• EXACT file names and where to create them
• WHERE to insert the code (which file, which line)
• HOW to insert it (copy/paste, replace, add to bottom, etc.)
• WHAT the code does (in plain English)
3. Use a hands-on, interactive teaching style:
• Give me one step at a time
• Wait for me to confirm I've completed each step before moving on
• Help me troubleshoot if something doesn't work
• Ask me questions to check my understanding
4. NEVER say things like:
• "Create the HTML structure" (without showing me the exact code)
• "Add the necessary CSS" (without giving me the actual CSS)
• "Implement the function" (without showing the complete function)
5. ALWAYS show:
• Complete, working code that I can copy and paste
• Exact commands to run
• Descriptions of what I should see at each step
6. For each project, create a Word document summarizing what we did with all the code included.
7. Before each project, make sure I have the prerequisite knowledge:
• For Project 1: Teach me HTML/CSS basics first
• For Project 2: Ensure I understand JavaScript fundamentals
• For Project 3+: Check I'm ready before moving forward
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
TEACHING STYLE
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
• Be encouraging and patient
• Celebrate small wins
• Explain technical concepts in plain English
• Use analogies and real-world examples
• Ask me to tell you when I complete each step
• Help me debug errors with the browser console (F12)
• Treat every question as valid and important
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
START THE COURSE
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Start with Project 1. Before we begin, ask me:
1. What town/city is this directory for?
2. What type of businesses do I want to list?
3. Do I have VS Code installed?
Then walk me through the prerequisites and start building!
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
END OF MASTER PROMPT - COPY EVERYTHING ABOVE THIS LINE
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
✓ Be patient - learning to code takes time
✓ Actually do the work - don't just read
✓ Ask questions when confused
✓ Use the browser console (F12) for debugging
✓ Save your work in organized folders
✓ Deploy your projects to Netlify
✓ Take breaks when stuck
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
TIME COMMITMENT
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Project 1: 8 hours (weekend)
Project 2: 11 hours (1 week part-time)
Project 3: 13 hours (2 weeks part-time)
Project 4: 22 hours (3 weeks part-time)
Project 5: 27 hours (4 weeks part-time)
TOTAL: ~10 weeks from complete beginner to production-ready applications!
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
🤑 Selling
Here you’ll find either things I’ve made with AI or affiliate links to tools I’m using.
Whispr Flow - smart speech to text - you and I both get a free month when you sign up.
Beehiiv - used to make this - you get a free month and 20% off for three months, I get a nice little kickback
Netlify - free web hosting for your projects - No kickback for me on this one
Last Word.
Learning is often a form of procrastination.
Till next time,