From GED to $100K/Week Developer With Zero Experience

Nine months ago, I couldn't write a single line of code. Today, I ship $100K worth of production software every week. No CS degree. No bootcamp. Just AI and relentless execution.

This isn't a humble brag. It's a blueprint. Everything I'm about to share, you can replicate—whether you want to build a SaaS, automate your business, or become a developer without the traditional path.

The Starting Point: $35K and a Dream

In early 2025, I liquidated my stocks and gold. Total: $35,000. I had an idea for a business but no technical skills to build it.

My first move? Hire developers on Fiverr. Disaster. Three different developers, thousands of dollars wasted, and code that didn't work. They couldn't execute my vision because I couldn't articulate it in technical terms.

"If you can't communicate with developers, you'll never build what you imagine. So I decided to become one."

But I didn't have 2 years for a CS degree or 6 months for a bootcamp. I had bills to pay and a business to launch. That's when I discovered AI-assisted development.

The AI Development Revolution

Here's what nobody tells you about coding in 2025: you don't need to memorize syntax anymore. AI handles that. What you need is:

• Architecture thinking — How systems connect and communicate
• Problem decomposition — Breaking big problems into small, solvable pieces
• Clear communication — Describing exactly what you want to AI
• Quality judgment — Knowing when code is good vs. garbage

I learned these skills in about 3 months. Not by reading textbooks—by building real things.

What I've Built (With Zero Prior Experience)

In 9 months, starting from nothing:

• 50+ Cloudflare Workers — Serverless functions handling leads, valuations, notifications, and data processing
• 5 Custom CRMs — Including a Slack-based system that replaced $150/month Salesforce
• AI Chatbot — Claude-powered assistant handling customer inquiries 24/7
• CEO Dashboard — Real-time business metrics with 8+ API integrations (FRED data, stocks, weather, calendar, email)
• Property Valuation Engine — ML-powered estimates now open-sourced as an npm package
• 270+ Blog Posts — With interactive calculators and tools embedded
• Multiple Websites — Full-stack applications from scratch

None of this required a computer science background. It required learning how to work with AI effectively.

The Tech Stack (For Any Industry)

Here's exactly what I use. This stack works for real estate, SaaS, e-commerce, or any business:

The Architecture Lesson That Changed Everything

My first major project was a monolithic Cloudflare Worker. One file. 10,000+ lines. It handled everything: leads, valuations, notifications, data processing.

Rookie mistake.

When something broke, I had to search through thousands of lines. Updates were terrifying. Debugging was a nightmare.

The lesson: Multiple small, specialized workers beat one giant monolith. Now I have dedicated workers for each domain:

• leads-worker — Handles all lead processing
• valuation-worker — Property estimates and comps
• notification-worker — Slack, SMS, email alerts
• market-intel-worker — Real-time market data

Each worker does one thing well. Easy to debug, easy to update, easy to scale.

How to Start (Your Blueprint)

If you want to replicate this path, here's exactly what I'd do:

Month 1: Foundation

• Get Claude Pro ($20/month) — Your coding partner
• Learn basic HTML/CSS/JavaScript concepts (not memorization)
• Build something small: a landing page, a calculator, a simple tool
• Focus on understanding why code works, not just copying it

Month 2: Backend & APIs

• Set up Cloudflare Workers (free tier is generous)
• Build your first API endpoint
• Connect to a third-party API (weather, stocks, anything)
• Learn about databases (start with D1 or simple JSON)

Month 3: Real Projects

• Build something for yourself or a client
• Deploy it publicly
• Get feedback, iterate, improve
• Start documenting what you learn

The Business Results

This isn't just about coding—it's about what coding enables:

• 12 deals closed in my first business venture
• $120K+ net profit from ~$20K marketing spend (6x ROAS)
• 2 VAs managing operations at $5/hour + performance bonuses
• Automated systems handling 80% of repetitive work
• Multiple revenue streams from software, services, and training

None of this would exist if I'd waited 2 years for a CS degree.

FAQ

The Bottom Line

The barrier to building software has never been lower. You don't need:

• A CS degree
• A $15K bootcamp
• Years of experience
• To memorize syntax

You need:

• Claude or similar AI tools
• Clear thinking about problems
• Willingness to learn by building
• 3-6 months of dedicated practice

The future belongs to people who can work with AI effectively. Whether you're building a startup, automating your business, or changing careers—AI-assisted development is the skill that changes everything.

Start building.

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