I started as a nanny with no formal tech training, working part-time while on disability.

I had an app idea and the same questions you have now, and I was determined to figure it out. So I taught myself to code and followed my curiosity across different roles.

What happened next was a career that took me everywhere: Mobile Engineer at Intel working on AR glasses, Mobile Lead at Mastercard building anti-fraud systems, Founding Mobile Product Manager, then Staff Engineer at Rivian architecting the methodology the app and vehicle use to communicate (I even have a patent for this one! A career highlight 😃). I've been a Release Engineer, a Product Manager for internal customer communication tooling, a Fullstack Engineer on SAAS products, and a Product Leader working directly with founders. I've worked for big companies, scaling start ups, agencies, and even on stealth hardware projects I wasn't allowed to talk about.

I'm not a specialist, instead, my interest in the business and customer side of products has rivalled my interest in coding and meant that I've done almost every role there is which is directly involved in the shaping and building of an app. That's what has uniquely prepared me to develop this program.

Several years ago, a spinal injury and a cascade of health issues from that, started making high performance knowledge work exceptionally difficult. I was running on empty for several years...but I was coping and hiding most of my struggles from others.

Then, due to the tech layoffs, as I was reaching my breaking point, I had no choice but to make 2 short notice international moves within 8 months. Next, I caught LONG COVID. That was the final push on my health. I completely crashed into the most intense burnout one might imagine. I was forced to slow down and face the reality that my physical health meant I had to learn to think differently about work.

I took a year off and lived out of a van with my partner, skiing and biking as much as I was physically able. I finally started working on the app idea that had inspired me, as a nanny, to become an engineer in the first place. That's when I realized I absolutely love the strategy side of app development. I started thinking about all the other people out there who want to make apps, and I watched as AI tooling started making building easier and easier for non-technical people. I realized I wanted to help passionate aspiring app founders avoid the expensive mistakes that come from not validating their initial idea.

My experiences, all the way from being a nanny on disability to being a software professional who found herself without warning struggling with the cognitive demands of reading code -and suddenly had a surprisingly low threshold for stress- shaped my desire for creating opportunities for people who might not be able to access traditional paths.

I want to help people and I think this experiment is worth giving it a shot. If this works, I can create sustainable income for myself while helping a whole lot of people succeed in changing their lives, even those without enough money to access traditional tech education, and especially anyone who is struggling with the demands of life and want something new.