Staging environment

Unstuck: Non-technical Mindsets for Lovable Builders

Course

Unstuck: Non-technical Mindsets for Lovable Builders

Justin Dougherty

4x VP Product Mgmt

Every fix breaks something else. Here's how to get out.

Stop wasting your work by abandoning stuck projects.

You built something real. It was working. Then you added a new feature and suddenly, something broke and your efforts to fix it have left you in a frustrating (and seemingly never-ending) debugging loop that you can't escape. You’re burning time and credits, and your project may never get finished at this rate.

So, you’re stuck. I’ve been there, on real applications, and getting out requires a new approach. Learning this new way of thinking doesn’t require going back to school for a new degree.

This non-technical course teaches the mindsets to break the pattern, fix your product, and proudly launch it to your audience. As a veteran product leader and a hands-on top 10% Lovable builder, I’ve personally navigated the traps that leave Lovable projects orphaned. At the end of this course, you’ll see your application with a forensic detective’s eyes, and leave with the knowledge and confidence to get unstuck, both today and the next time.

What you’ll learn

You will leave this course feeling that you can independently take your vibe coding projects out of their AI-based traps and to your goal.

Gain confidence by learning techniques to communicate clearly with your AI coding tool.
Gain confidence by workshopping example products to let you see the techniques in action.
Gain confidence by hearing other people's similar struggles, so you don't feel alone or self-doubting.

Learn a non-technical way of thinking about application building that transcends platforms, tools, and models.
Practice modeling your products into a structure that will help you communicate with your AI developer.
Learn how to define & prioritize the core of your product, so you don't delay your launch or future iterations.

Use Systems Thinking to assess your bugs and identify the root of your problems.
Craft clear communications to your AI so that it knows exactly what to change (and what not to).
Develop non-technical approaches to unearth technical problems.

Get real-world tactics for debugging situations when you're stuck.
Mitigate risks in your AI-built software by prompting wisely.
Utilize safe ways to extend your application, while learning which areas require human oversight.

Learn directly from Justin

Justin Dougherty

Contact

4x VP of Product; 2025 Top 10% Lovable builder

See all products from Justin

Who this course is for

People who have experimented with Vibe Coding but get stuck when the app doesn’t work as planned and “fix this” debugging doesn’t work.
People who are trying to use Vibe Coding to increase their productivity (for prototypes, tools, etc.) but get stuck and run out of time.
Non-technical people who want an approachable understanding of how to build their Systems Thinking skills to design maintainable apps.

What's included

Live sessions

Learn directly from Justin Dougherty in a real-time, interactive format.

Direct teaching of techniques to apply to your own projects

Immediately put these into practice by advancing your own projects outside of class.

Group workshopping of examples to gain confidence in good Product practices

Break down real products so you feel capable of applying this to your own future applications.

Office Hours for Live Q&A

Discuss how to use this class to get your own projects "Unstuck"

Certificate of Completion

Share your new skills with your network.

Access to Session Recordings

Missed a live session? Watch the recording to see the content.

Maven Guarantee

Your purchase is backed by the Maven Guarantee.

Course syllabus

5 live sessions • 2 lessons

Week 1

Jun 3—Jun 7

Apply the Fundamentals to your Project

Jun
3
Lesson 1: Escaping the Tar Pits - Getting Unstuck
Wed 6/33:00 PM—4:30 PM (UTC)
Jun
5
Optional: Office Hours - Working through Your Project
Fri 6/54:00 PM—5:00 PM (UTC)
Optional
Jun
6
Lesson 2 - Systems Thinking Workshop
Sat 6/64:00 PM—5:30 PM (UTC)

1 more item

Week 2

Jun 8—Jun 10

Solidify and Expand your Application

Jun
8
Optional: Office Hours - Working through Your Project
Mon 6/84:00 PM—5:00 PM (UTC)
Optional
Jun
10
Lesson 3 - Expanding Your Domain
Wed 6/103:00 PM—4:30 PM (UTC)

1 more item

Schedule

Live sessions

4-6 hrs

3 live 90-minute lessons (Fri, Tues, Fri) including group workshop time. Lessons start by introducing enough skills and continue by diving deeper into actual examples and group skill-building exercises. Optional office hours are held between each session for students to ask personalized questions coming from their own experiences.

Wed, Jun 3
3:00 PM—4:30 PM (UTC)
Fri, Jun 5
4:00 PM—5:00 PM (UTC)
Sat, Jun 6
4:00 PM—5:30 PM (UTC)

Projects

1-5 hrs

Put the techniques into practice. This is outside work on your own Lovable projects to apply the skills you've learned in class and bring back feedback to the group in subsequent sessions.