These are the patterns that cause 90% of people to fail the challenge.
Read this. Learn from others’ mistakes. Don’t be that person.
An anti-pattern is a common response to a recurring problem that is usually ineffective and risks being highly counterproductive.
In this challenge, anti-patterns are behaviors that FEEL productive but actually sabotage your learning.
You’re not learning - you’re consuming content. AI Engineering requires building, not watching.
1. Watch ONE tutorial on a topic (max 2 hours)
2. Close the tutorial
3. Build something using the concept WITHOUT looking
4. Get stuck? Research specific problem, not whole new tutorial
5. Finish the project before moving on
Rule: For every 1 hour of tutorial, spend 3 hours coding.
Checkboxes don’t become skills. Day 100 will arrive and you’ll realize you learned nothing.
Before checking ANY box, ask:
1. Can I explain this concept to someone else?
2. Can I rebuild this without looking at notes?
3. Does my code actually work with different inputs?
4. Would I be comfortable showing this in an interview?
If answer is NO to any question → DON'T CHECK THE BOX
Related: QUALITY_STANDARDS.md defines what “done” actually means.
Interviews and real jobs require understanding, not copy-paste skills. You’ll be exposed immediately.
When you find code to use:
1. Read every line carefully
2. Explain what each line does (out loud or in comments)
3. Modify it to solve a different problem
4. Break it on purpose, then fix it
5. Rewrite it from memory
Rule: If you can’t explain every line, you don’t understand it yet.
Perfect is the enemy of done. You’re learning, not shipping production code for NASA.
1. Set a time limit: 6-8 hours per day, then STOP
2. Make it work → Make it clean → Make it fast (in that order)
3. "Good enough for learning" is the standard, not "perfect"
4. Post your messy code - that's how you learn faster
5. Timebox tasks: "I'll spend 1 hour on this, then move on"
Rule: Ugly working code > beautiful code that doesn’t exist.
Struggling alone is slow learning. The community exists to help. Use it.
RULE: If stuck for >1 hour, ASK FOR HELP
How to ask:
1. Post in Discord #100daysofaiengineer
2. Explain what you're trying to do
3. Show what you've tried
4. Share the error message
5. Link to your code (GitHub)
Template:
"Day X: Stuck on [problem]
Trying to: [goal]
Error: [error message]
What I've tried: [attempts]
Code: [GitHub link]
Help appreciated! 🙏"
The community WANTS to help. That’s why we’re here.
Depth > Breadth in learning. Shallow knowledge of 50 topics is worthless. Deep knowledge of 10 topics gets jobs.
1. Commit to the curriculum order - it's designed intentionally
2. Finish each project BEFORE starting next
3. "Shiny object syndrome"? Write it down for Day 101+
4. One project at a time, done RIGHT
Rule: 7 completed projects > 50 started projects.
You’re training to be an AI Engineer, not an AI Researcher. Theory is useful, but implementation is the goal.
80/20 Rule: 20% theory, 80% implementation
For each concept:
1. Learn basic theory (30 min - 1 hour)
2. Implement it (2-3 hours)
3. Theory gets reinforced through implementation
4. Go deeper into theory only if needed
Build first, understand deeper later.
Rule: If you’ve spent more time on theory than code, you’re doing it wrong.
No public commitment = easy to quit. Public accountability is WHY this challenge works.
DAILY REQUIREMENT:
1. Post in Discord #100daysofaiengineer
2. Share on social media 3x/week minimum
3. Respond to others' posts
4. Build in public
Even if code is messy. Even if you're behind. POST.
Related: ACCOUNTABILITY.md - daily posting requirements
Rule: If you didn’t post it, it didn’t happen.
You can start with Colab for FREE. Environment issues are an excuse, not a blocker.
Day 1 setup (30 minutes):
1. Install Python + Anaconda
2. Create Google Colab account (FREE GPU)
3. Install basic libraries
4. Write "Hello World"
5. START LEARNING
Upgrade environment later when actually needed.
Rule: Google Colab exists. No more excuses.
100 days is a marathon, not a sprint. Consistency beats intensity.
SUSTAINABLE PACE:
- 2-3 hours/day is ENOUGH
- Rest days are OK (use flex days)
- Quality > marathon coding sessions
- Consistency is the goal
Better: 2 hours/day for 100 days
Worse: 10 hours/day for 10 days, then quit
Rule: 2 hours every day > 10 hours once a week.
Which of these sound like you? (Be honest)
For each checked box:
✅ Code more than they consume content ✅ Build projects, not just follow tutorials ✅ Ask for help when stuck >1 hour ✅ Post progress publicly, even when imperfect ✅ Finish each project before moving on ✅ Learn theory through implementation ✅ Maintain sustainable 2-3 hour daily pace ✅ Engage with community regularly ✅ Focus on quality over checkboxes ✅ Iterate: make it work → clean → optimize
Don’t panic. Awareness is the first step.
Action Plan:
1. Pause new content
2. Review what you've "learned" - can you actually DO it?
3. Pick your weakest area
4. Rebuild one project from scratch without tutorials
5. Post in Discord about what you're fixing
6. Get accountability partner to call you out
Recovery Post Template:
"Day X Check-in: Realized I've been [anti-pattern].
From now on:
- [What I'll stop doing]
- [What I'll start doing]
Accountability partners needed! Call me out if I slip! 💪"
These anti-patterns killed your predecessors’ attempts.
Don’t let them kill yours.
The curriculum works. The community works. The process works.
But only if YOU work the right way.
Help each other avoid anti-patterns:
If you see someone:
We’re all in this together. Help each other succeed.
Now that you know the anti-patterns, DON’T BE THAT PERSON. 💪
Be the one who actually finishes. Be the one who actually learns. 🔥
Code > Consume. Build > Watch. Ship > Perfect. 🚀