Learn AI Agent Development
For Your Career.

AI agents are the fastest-growing skill in tech. Master autonomous agents,
tool use, and multi-agent systems to become indispensable.

The Field Moves Faster Than You Can Follow.

New agent frameworks drop every week. LangChain, CrewAI, AutoGen - which one actually matters for jobs?

Tutorials teach toy examples. Production agents need reliability, error handling, and cost control.

No clear learning path. You're stitching together random YouTube videos hoping it adds up to job-ready skills.

A Clear Path to Agent Development Mastery.

The World-Class AI Engineer Cohort

Skip the framework churn and tutorial purgatory. Learn the fundamentals that transfer across any agent stack, build production-grade projects, and develop the skills employers actually hire for.

1

Master Agent Fundamentals

ReAct patterns, tool use, memory systems

2

Build Real Projects

Production agents with error handling

3

Become Job-Ready

Portfolio that proves your skills

Meet Your Mentor

Zen van Riel

My aim has been the same for years: become a world-class AI engineer. Every career move I've made has been measured against that.

I started as a software tester on a $500/month internship in the Netherlands. Taught myself to code, learned to ship real systems, and worked my way to Senior Engineer at GitHub.

Then I left GitHub. I joined an AI research lab as Member of Technical Staff, where I currently build products for secure AI monitoring.

The cohort draws directly from my real experience so you can make progress fast.

I run this special cohort with only a few people because hands-on work with me is what it takes to bring you to become a world-class AI engineer.

Career progression from Intern to Senior Engineer

Real Results

Vittor

Vittor

AI Engineer

Built and deployed his portfolio piece, then landed the AI role

"The coaching played a huge part in my success. I focused on AI fundamentals, the certification path, and soft skills like professional writing. Having access to expert guidance gave me confidence during interviews and helped me feel I was on the right path.

I built my own platform (simple but functional) and deployed it on AWS. I used it in my portfolio and showcased it during interviews. The way complex topics were explained, especially the restaurant analogy for AI systems, really stuck with me. Focusing on doing the basics well was absolutely essential."

What You Will Get

8 Weekly Tuesday Sessions

3 hours each for 24 live hours total.

Project Scoping at Kickoff

We set the scope of what you'll ship and the milestones to get there before the live sessions start.

Code Reviews

Reviews of your code from Zen during the cohort.

Lifetime Demo Access

Every architecture demo is recorded and yours to keep.

Demo Day

You present what you built and get feedback from Zen, with a recording you can use in your portfolio.

12 Months Community Access

Included with the cohort.

Agent Engineers Are in Short Supply

8
Weeks
6
Seats per Cohort
24
Live Hours with Zen

Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly are AI agents and why should I learn them?

AI agents are LLM-powered systems that can autonomously plan, use tools, and complete multi-step tasks. Think: code that writes code, research assistants that browse the web, or customer service bots that actually resolve issues. In 2026, agent development is the highest-demand AI skill because agents turn LLMs from chat toys into business automation. Companies need engineers who can build reliable, production-grade agents.

Which agent frameworks should I learn first?

Start with fundamentals, not frameworks. Understand ReAct prompting, tool-calling patterns, and memory architectures first. These concepts transfer across any framework. Once you have fundamentals, LangGraph is solid for complex workflows, CrewAI for multi-agent systems, and the Anthropic/OpenAI function-calling APIs for simple agents. The framework landscape changes quarterly - fundamentals last years.

How much time will this take?

You'll spend 3 hours every Tuesday in the live session and roughly 3 hours of async work in between, for 8 weeks. The Tuesday session time is fixed.

What does the job market look like for AI agent developers?

Explosive. Agent-related job postings grew 340% in 2025 and the trend continues in 2026. Companies from startups to enterprises need engineers who can build autonomous systems. Roles include AI Engineer, Agent Developer, Automation Engineer, and increasingly 'AI Agent Specialist.' Salaries range $150K-$300K+ depending on experience and company. The supply of qualified candidates is far below demand.

I've signed up for cohorts before and dropped out. How is this different?

It probably isn't, and you should hold the money. Most cohort dropouts are people who couldn't articulate what they were shipping when they signed up. That's why the consult exists, and why I turn down most applications. If we get on the call and you can't tell me what you'll have shipped at the end of week 8, I'll point you to the AI Native Engineer community until you can.

I'm not pivoting careers. I want to build a product. Does this still work?

Yes, the cohort works for people shipping their first serious AI system whether the goal is to land a senior role or to launch a product. The shipped system serves both equally well.

Do I need prior AI experience?

You need to be able to code in Python or TypeScript. Complete beginners can follow the classroom they get access to before the cohort sessions to come in well-prepared.

What does it cost?

It's a four-figure investment that we discuss during the 30-minute consult, alongside whether the cohort is the right fit for your project.

Can I do this while working full-time?

Yes, most attendees do. The live session is one Tuesday a week and the async work fits around your existing schedule, as long as you can carve out roughly 6 hours a week.

I accept those who have the highest chance of success.

In the 30-minute call we discuss your goals and whether you are ready for the program.