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If you’re interested in AI and learning to code, you’ve come to the right place.
My name is Raghu Betina. Over the past 14 years, I’ve taught 3,000+ non-programmers how to program — at Northwestern, the University of Illinois, and the University of Chicago, where I’m a Clinical Associate Professor at the Booth School of Business.
Before that, I was a non-programmer myself: a non-technical founder of technical startups. Learning to code changed how I saw the world and what I could build. My goal is to do the same for you.
Raghu’s class was what first got me excited about Product Management…That class completely changed how I saw software—it made it feel accessible, creative, and honestly, just really fun…now I get to spend my days thinking about what features to build and how to make apps better for users.
Raghu and his team helped me get my startup off the ground and I will be forever grateful. At this point, we are a seed staged company that has raised millions of dollars all thanks to an idea I was working on during these courses. I cannot recommend this enough!
Upon enrolling, I didn’t have sky-high expectations…if I couldn’t do full-stack dev after a whole degree in comp sci from undergrad, then how far would one intro course really get me?
Turns out - all the way. By the end, I had a solid working web app along with an understanding of a ton of concepts that previously puzzled me for years.
— Manish Bidasaria, Portfolio & Risk Manager at Pinnacle Wealth Advisory
What we teach
We teach full-stack app development — everything you need to build a real, working web app by yourself: the front-end your users see, the back-end where your logic and data live, deployment to get it live on the internet, and all the little details in between. We even build iOS and Android native mobile versions. And we make it as fun, empathetic, and beginner-friendly as possible.
A major focus is AI: both using it to help us build, and integrating the latest models into the apps we make.
Each week, you’ll build something you’re excited to share — something that makes you say, “Hey, look what I made!”
Here is a taste of things we may build together, before you strike out on your own ideas:
Why learn to code in the AI age?
Loud voices proclaim that the need to learn programming is dead. We disagree. Understanding how technology works changes how you see the world. Once you know what’s easy, what’s hard, and what’s possible, your ideas change. You become a better noticer — spotting opportunities everyone else walks past. Until AI can see through your eyes and live your life, that edge belongs to people who understand the technology.
We’re at a 1995-internet, 2008-iPhone moment: a wave of opportunity that rewards technologically-empowered people who can notice and build. That’s why we think the rise of AI makes this the best time ever to learn to code.
Current offerings
Aside from our in-person classes, we offer:
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Our complete course, available as a self-paced program that you can start anytime, with an integrated AI tutor to guide you on your journey.
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A one-day, AI-focused product development workshop.
Interested in either? Drop us a line at contact@firstdraft.com for information and access.
Do you have more questions, or still curious why you should pick First Draft over anyone else? Visit our FAQ page to learn more.
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