Free AI Course
Porter J Digital AI Builder Program
Work through each step. Take notes. Do the work. By the end, you'll be able to design and deploy AI systems for real clients.
Welcome · How This Program Works
Welcome to the Porter J Digital AI Builder Program. This is your path to becoming an AI systems architect who can design, build, and sell real AI solutions. Work through each step, complete the activities, and apply everything to real businesses as you go.
How to Use This Course
- Move step-by-step using the Next and Back buttons.
- Use the notes areas to capture your own ideas – they save in your browser.
- Quizzes unlock the Next button on some steps, so actually do them.
- Your goal: by the end, be able to design and deploy real voice, chat, and automation systems for clients.
Your Intention
What AI Actually Is (No Hype)
AI is prediction and pattern recognition – not magic. In this step, you reframe AI as a practical engine you can direct with the right prompts and structure.
Reflect
AI as the New Workforce
Start thinking of AI in terms of roles, not tools. You are building AI workers that plug into a business.
Quick Quiz
Select all roles that AI systems can realistically assist or automate in a business:
Application
Where AI Fits in a Business
You need to see a business as a set of departments, each with repetitive tasks AI can support or replace.
Departments AI Can Touch
- Sales: lead intake, qualification, follow-up reminders.
- Marketing: content drafts, campaign setups, DM flows.
- Operations: scheduling, notifications, data routing.
- Support: FAQs, triage, ticket creation.
- Admin: document generation, reports, summaries.
Department Map
Agents, Automations & Workflows
These three words will show up everywhere. You need to be crystal clear on each.
Key Distinctions
- Agent: AI that talks, decides, or takes action (voice, chat, decision-maker).
- Automation: Simple “if X, then Y” rule (e.g., new lead → send email).
- Workflow: A chain of steps and tools working together.
In this program, you'll build all three and wire them together.
Your AI Tool Stack Overview
Here’s the stack you’ll master: Vapi (voice), ManyChat (chat), n8n & Make (workflows), Claude & ChatGPT (brains), Cursor & Lovable (apps), APIs & webhooks (glue).
Tool Comfort Check
Rate your current comfort 1–5 (1 = never used, 5 = confident):
APIs & Webhooks for Builders (Simple Mental Model)
You don’t need to be a hardcore dev to use APIs and webhooks. You need the right mental model.
Mental Models
- API: A menu. It tells you what a tool can do and how to ask it.
- Webhook: A door. It lets another app send data in as events happen.
Reflection
Prompt Foundations
Prompts are how you talk to the model. Good prompts feel like briefing a junior developer or assistant.
Prompt Structure
- Role: Who is the AI acting as?
- Goal: What do you want as output?
- Context: Background, constraints.
- Format: JSON, code, bullet list, etc.
- Examples: Good and bad outputs.
Practice
Using AI to Write HTML, CSS & JS
You don’t need to memorize everything. You need to know how to ask.
Code Practice
Use this area to draft prompts or code, then paste into your AI tool (ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, etc.).
Debugging With AI
Instead of getting stuck on errors, you let AI help you debug.
Debug Prompt Pattern
Paste your error, your code, and say: “Here is the error, here is the code, explain what is wrong and fix it with comments.”
Reflection
Vapi Overview · Voice AI Agents
Vapi lets you deploy phone-based AI agents that talk like staff members.
Use Case
Designing a Voice Flow
Before you touch the tool, design the conversation.
Basic Reception Flow
- Greeting
- Identify reason for call
- Collect key info (name, number, reason)
- Route: book call, send message, FAQ answer
- Confirm and close
Your Flow
ManyChat Overview · DM Automation
ManyChat lets you automate IG/FB DMs and embed chat flows on sites. You’ll wire it with AI to answer, qualify, and book.
DM Use Case
n8n Overview · Brains of Your System
n8n will become your main workflow engine. It connects triggers, APIs, LLM calls, and logic.
Workflow Idea
Common Workflow Patterns
There are patterns you’ll reuse over and over.
Patterns
- Lead Intake: form → validate → enrich → notify → store.
- Support: ticket created → AI categorizes → route.
- Follow-up: event happens → schedule messages.
Pick One
Make.com vs n8n · When to Use Which
Both can automate. n8n gives code-like control; Make.com has a very visual feel and tons of pre-built integrations.
Check Your Understanding
Which tool usually gives you deeper control for complex logic?
Designing a Webhook-Based Flow
You’ll constantly use webhooks from tools like Vapi, ManyChat, and forms.
Webhook Sketch
Cursor & Lovable · Your App Shells
Cursor and Lovable help you build frontends and dashboards without writing every line yourself.
App Idea
Prompting to Build Interfaces
You’ll use prompt-driven coding: describe the UI, the layout, and the data bindings.
UI Prompt
Use this area to draft prompts or code, then paste into your AI tool (ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, etc.).
Positioning Your AI Services
You are not selling “AI tools.” You are selling outcomes: less payroll, faster response times, more revenue.
Offer Angles
- “AI receptionist that never misses a call.”
- “AI sales assistant that follows up every lead.”
- “AI admin that updates your CRM automatically.”
Your Offer
Discovery Call Structure
You need a consistent way to understand a client's business, pain, and systems.
Call Structure
- Current business and model.
- Where they feel friction.
- What tools they already use.
- Which roles are overloaded.
- Paint the future with AI systems.
Your Script
Capstone · Design Your System
Now you bring everything together: one business, one system that includes voice, chat, and workflows.
Business Selection
Capstone · System Blueprint
You design which components you’ll use and how they connect.
Blueprint
Capstone · Sales Story
You finish by writing the story you’ll tell when you demo this system to a client.