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Even after 20 years as a software developer, Mario Wangen admits that working with AI felt like staring at a puzzle without the picture on the box. He knew the individual tools, but the bigger picture wouldn’t come together.
That’s why he joined Turing College's AI Engineering program — he wanted a way to finally connect the dots.
Learning With Real Support
Early on, Mario discovered the part of the program that made the biggest difference: project reviews with senior team leads (STLs). STLs are experienced professionals from companies like Google, Vinted, and Nasdaq, who guide learners by reviewing their projects and giving practical, detailed feedback.
For Mario, this was the missing piece. Instead of vague encouragement, he got specific advice: what to tweak, where to focus, and how to tie everything together. That clarity changed everything.
Building Skills That Stick
The AI Engineering course went far beyond theory. Each sprint forced Mario to plan, code, and deploy — the same rhythm that real projects follow. With every cycle, he grew more confident in his ability to build AI products rather than just experiment with tools.
As Mario put it: “I didn’t want more tutorials. I wanted to ask questions to someone in the field.”
That’s exactly what he got. What stood out most for him was the program’s focus on:
- Learning alongside a community of peers and professionals
- Solving real business problems with AI
- A project-based approach that felt like actual work
To quote author Chip Huyen, "AI Engineers don't just build models. They build products." Over time, that mindset became Mario's own.
The Capstone: PULSE Content Agent
For his final project, Mario created PULSE, a content generation app designed to help startups and small businesses stand out with content that actually fits their brand and market.
Here's how it works:
- Business insights. PULSE analyzes a company's website or pitch deck and combines it with real conversations from Reddit, Quora, Twitter, and Hacker News.
- Topic generation. From these insights, the app suggests content ideas that matter to the company's target audience.
- Content creation. It produces draft posts tailored for Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.
- Refinement. Drafts are reviewed by multiple AI personas — strategist, customer, industry expert, investor — and refined until they hit the mark.
The outcome is content that feels sharp and relevant. It's rooted in market insights and tuned to the company's audience pain points and brand strategy.
Looking Ahead
By the end of the program, Mario had made a full pivot from long-time software developer to confident AI engineer. Beyond learning AI theory, he actually built a functioning prototype that demonstrates real business value.
PULSE is still in its early stages, but it's already proof of what happens when hands-on learning, expert feedback, and persistence come together. For Mario, this was the start of a new chapter — building AI products that bridge technology and business needs.
👉 If you're based in Germany, you may be able to join the AI Engineering program fully funded through the Bildungsgutschein, just like Mario did.