One mapper skill

Each map is a whole journey, drawn first and then taught one station at a time. The first one is open now. More are on the way.

01Library

Open now, free in beta

Zero to One with AI

From a vague idea to a product people pay for, with one project, Paywhistle, running through all of it.

46lessons
5regions
~9 hrsabout 12 min each
Start lesson 1.1See the map
  1. 01Idea7 lessons
  2. 02Plan10 lessons
  3. 03Build with AI11 lessons
  4. 04Brand7 lessons
  5. 05Launch and run11 lessons

The shelves

DotSkills is for learning any skill made of parts that connect. Maps sit on three shelves. No dates yet.

AI and tech

Zero to One with AI

From a rough idea to a launched product, with AI at every step.

Open now

AI for everyday work

Writing, research and planning with AI chat apps, without the guesswork.

Planned

Building your first agent

Give an AI tools and a goal, and keep it safe.

Planned

Image and video generation

How image and video models work, and how to direct them.

Planned

Life and money

Buying your first home

From “can I afford this?” to the keys, with who does what at every step. US only.

In the works

Personal finance basics

Budgets, saving, debt and credit, and how they affect each other.

Planned

Starting a small business

From an idea to your first paying customers, step by step.

Planned

Creative

Photography

Light, exposure, focus and composition, with a phone or a camera.

In the works

Learning to cook

Heat, timing and flavor, so you can cook without a recipe in front of you.

Planned

Writing a short story

Character, conflict and structure, from a first idea to a finished draft.

Planned

Tell us which one you want first through the feedback button in any lesson, or see the roadmap.

02Zero to One

Zero to One with AI, the whole map

Five regions, each building on the last. Watch it draw itself, then find every lesson below.

01Idea7 lessons02Plan10 lessons03Build with AI11 lessons04Brand7 lessons05Launch and run11 lessons
Region 01

Idea

From a vague wish to a problem worth solving. How AI works, how to find a real problem, talk to people and test whether they'll act.

Paywhistle: the late-invoice problem, a waitlist test, a market check.

  1. 1.1AI basicsAn AI predicts likely words. You decide what's true.12 min
  2. 1.2Zero to one mindsetNothing exists yet. So you learn by testing.10 min
  3. 1.3Problem findingStart with a problem. The product comes later.12 min
  4. 1.4Customer researchAsk people what they did. Learn before you build.12 min
  5. 1.5Idea validationAsk people to act. Then count who does.12 min
  6. 1.6Market and competitionYour customer already copes somehow. Find out how, then count them.12 min
  7. 1.7Your edgeWhy you, and why now? Start where you are strong.10 min
Region 02

Plan

Just enough plan to start building. Scope, user flows, a working name and look, the parts of an app, data, models, cost and setup.

Paywhistle: three must-haves, the main flow, the data, the cost per designer.

  1. 2.1Product scopeBuild the smallest thing that helps. One person, one job, three must-haves.12 min
  2. 2.2User flowsWalk the path first. Then list the screens.12 min
  3. 2.3Working name and lookJust enough name and look. Then get back to building.10 min
  4. 2.4System designEvery app is a few parts. One tap travels through them all.12 min
  5. 2.5DataDecide what your app remembers. Give each kind of thing a table.12 min
  6. 2.6Choosing modelsMatch the model to the job. Then test it on yours.12 min
  7. 2.7Knowledge and tuningYour AI doesn't know your business. Tell it how to act. Let it look things up.12 min
  8. 2.8Cost and ownershipKnow what it costs to run. Make sure it's yours.12 min
  9. 2.9Tools and setupA small kit, set up once. Then you can just build.12 min
  10. 2.10Getting helpStuck? Say it clearly. Then ask, one step at a time.10 min
Region 03

Build with AI

Build real things by describing them. Prompts, memory, vibe coding, APIs, security, testing, code review, agents, voice agents, trust and your first full version.

Paywhistle: the reminder writer, AI drafts, tests, then the full first version.

  1. 3.1Prompts and queriesA prompt is a short brief. Clear brief, better answer.12 min
  2. 3.2Sessions and memoryThe AI keeps nothing between turns. The app sends it the whole chat again.10 min
  3. 3.3Vibe codingDescribe it in plain words. The AI writes the code.12 min
  4. 3.4APIsOne program asks another. An API is how it asks.12 min
  5. 3.5SecurityLock it from day one. Strangers will try every door.14 min
  6. 3.6TestingWrite down what must work. Then try to break it.12 min
  7. 3.7Code reviewOne AI writes. Another checks. You make the call.12 min
  8. 3.8AgentsGive the AI a goal. It takes the steps for you.12 min
  9. 3.9Voice agentsMost use three systems in a row. Each one waits for the last.12 min
  10. 3.10TrustPeople trust what they can check. So show your work and let them undo.12 min
  11. 3.11Your first full versionTurn the demo into the real thing. One piece at a time.14 min
Region 04

Brand

Shape the brand from what real users say. Positioning, naming, brand traits, visual identity, voice and tone, a design system and your launch story.

Paywhistle: calm, polite, persistent. A palette, a voice guide, a launch story.

  1. 4.1PositioningYour users already know what it's for. Write it down in their words.12 min
  2. 4.2NamingKeep the name or change it. Decide now, while it's cheap.10 min
  3. 4.3Brand from behaviorYour brand is what you do, every day. Find it in what people already say.12 min
  4. 4.4Visual identityGrow your working look into an identity. Small enough to use everywhere.12 min
  5. 4.5Voice and toneYour voice stays the same. Your tone fits the moment.12 min
  6. 4.6Design systemSame parts on every screen. So new screens match.12 min
  7. 4.7Launch storyTell one true story. Then shape it for each place.12 min
Region 05

Launch and run

Go live, and keep it alive. Deploying, release waves, scaling, monitoring, support, privacy basics, security, pricing, growth, upkeep and incidents.

Paywhistle: live at $9 a month, opened in waves, one incident handled well.

  1. 5.1DeployingGive it a real address. Go live in small, undoable steps.12 min
  2. 5.2ReleaseOpen the doors in waves. So problems reach a few people first.12 min
  3. 5.3Hosting and scalingMore users find the limits first. Grow one step at a time.12 min
  4. 5.4MonitoringKnow it works. Before anyone has to tell you.12 min
  5. 5.5Feedback and supportMake it easy to ask. Learn from every message.12 min
  6. 5.6Privacy and legal basicsSay what you do with people's data. Then check the rules where you live.12 min
  7. 5.7Staying secureKeep it locked after launch. Small checks, every month.12 min
  8. 5.8PricingCharge for what it's worth. Check it covers what it costs.12 min
  9. 5.9GrowthGrow where your people are. Keep them before you add more.12 min
  10. 5.10MaintenanceKeep it healthy. A little, every week.12 min
  11. 5.11When things go wrongSomething will go wrong. Stop the harm, then tell people.12 min

Ready when you are.

Lessons open in order. Pass each check to unlock the next.

Start the first lessonSee the maps