02 · Suggested Learning Paths

Two routes toward the same destination

A step-by-step breakdown of two structured, time-boxed learning paths — plus a course-swap comparison table if you'd rather mix and match.

Path 1 · AI Agents & Product Ownership

Total time · 7 months
01

Build Powerful AI Agents with OpenAI Tools — Professional Certificate

Build intelligent tool-using agents with the OpenAI Responses API, integrate APIs via function calling, orchestrate multi-agent workflows with the Agents SDK, and deploy production-ready agents with Streamlit, Flask, and the GPT Store.

~2 months Intermediate View course
02

IBM Product Owner Professional Certificate

Backlog management, prioritization, and Agile practices including release planning; preps for the Scrum.org PSPO I exam.

~2 months View course
03

Generative AI for UI UX Design — IBM

AI-assisted ideation, prototyping, and testing for interface design work.

~8 weeks View course
04

DevOps and AI on AWS

Coding, building, and testing an application upgraded with generative AI, source control, and unit testing.

~1 month View course

Path 2 · AI-Native Building & Product Management

Total time · 5 months
01

AI for App Building — Google

Audit your workflow and build a functional web app via vibe coding — no prior coding needed — practicing with Google AI Studio.

~2–5 days View course
02

Microsoft AI Product Manager Professional Certificate

Product strategy, roadmaps, and requirements gathering across AI and cloud capabilities, using Microsoft tools.

~3 months 5 courses View course
03

Agile with Atlassian Jira

Agile and lean principles, kanban, and scrum, with hands-on Jira practice.

~1 week View course
04

Introduction to Web Development — Microsoft

HTML, CSS, JavaScript, responsive design, accessibility, Git/GitHub, and Microsoft Copilot.

~1–3 months View course
05

Vibe Coding Essentials — Build Apps with AI (Scrimba)

Cursor, Copilot, Claude Code, and MCP — building websites, browser extensions, database-powered apps, and a mobile app, deployed via GitHub and Netlify.

~1 month View course
06

Meta Back-End Developer Professional Certificate (or short backend equivalent)

Server-side logic, APIs, and databases.

~4–5 days View course

Course-swap comparison

If you'd rather pick differently
Slot Primary pick Can swap for Difference
Product Management Microsoft AI Product Manager IBM AI Product Manager IBM is faster (~3 mo, job-ready framing), leans prompt-engineering; Microsoft leans Copilot/Power BI/Azure and enterprise tooling.
Duke AI Product Management (Specialization) More academic/ML-fundamentals-heavy — better if you want to understand how ML works, not just manage it.
Product Ownership Agile with Atlassian Jira IBM Product Owner Professional Certificate IBM is longer (~2 mo), preps for the Scrum.org PSPO I exam — a real credential. Jira course is shorter, tool-hands-on, no cert prep.
Professional Scrum Product Ownership (Scrum.org) Most rigorous, official Scrum.org content — best if the PSPO I cert itself matters.
Frontend coding foundation Introduction to Web Development (Microsoft) Meta Front-End Developer Professional Certificate Meta is far deeper (~7 mo) — React, Bootstrap, coding-interview prep. Microsoft's is a fast on-ramp (1–3 mo), thinner.
IBM Introduction to Web Development with HTML, CSS, JavaScript Similar scope to Microsoft's, IBM-branded, no Copilot integration.
AI-assisted building Vibe Coding Essentials (Scrimba) Vibe Coding for Beginners: From Zero to App (Google Cloud) Google Cloud's is narrower — Gemini + Firebase only. Scrimba's is broader across multiple AI tools.
AI-design (optional) Generative AI for UI UX Design (IBM) UI/UX Design Fundamentals & Prototyping with GenAI (SkillUp) SkillUp starts further back — core UX/UI fundamentals (Figma) before layering AI.
Real agent-building (optional) Build Powerful AI Agents with OpenAI Tools Build AI Agents with n8n n8n is no-code/visual — faster prototyping, not real engineering. OpenAI Tools cert uses real APIs/SDK.
Agentic AI and AI Agents for Leaders Conceptual only, for non-technical decision-makers — not a substitute for building agents yourself.
Deployment/maintenance DevOps and AI on AWS Generative AI for Software Development (DeepLearning.AI/IBM) AWS course is deployment/CI-CD-focused; the DeepLearning.AI one is about using AI as a coding aid, lighter on DevOps.