The Loop is Closed
There is something incredibly meta about today.
I just hit publish on my first AI-Assisted eBook: "Build Your First Web App: The Non-Developer's Guide to Shipping Real Software in 2026."
You can check it out here: https://johncderrick.com/ebooks/build-it-ai-guide.html
Practicing What I Preach
What makes this project unique—and frankly, a little intimidating—is the recursion. I didn't just write a book about the tools; I used the tools to build the book.
Research: I used Cowork (Anthropic's agent) to synthesize the market data and adoption statistics.
Drafting: I used Claude to challenge my arguments and refine the "Human Sandwich" framework.
Coding: I used Claude Code to build the landing page you see at the link above.
I am eating my own dog food. If the tools didn't work, this book wouldn't exist.
The "Expert" Trap
Publishing this feels vulnerable. There is always that voice asking, "Who are you to write the guide?"
But I realized that the "Expert" in 2026 isn't the person with the PhD in Machine Learning. It's the person in the arena, getting their hands dirty, figuring out how to connect these digital wires to actual business value.
This guide isn't theoretical. It is the exact playbook I used to rebuild my sites, automate my workflows, and reclaim my time.
The Offer
If you have been following these logs and wondering, "Okay, but how do I actually start?"—this is the answer. It covers the prompt libraries, the security protocols, and the maturity models I use every day.
It's out in the wild now. I hope it helps you build something cool.
The Protocol: Don't just learn the tools. Use the tools to build the thing that teaches the tools. Ship it.
