14 Day AI Challenge: Building an AI-Powered Learning Platform – The UpSkaill Journey

In a digital world evolving faster than traditional education can respond, the question no longer seems to be if technology can transform learning — but how fast. This is the challenge we embraced when we launched the UpSkaill project: could an AI-powered learning platform be built not in months, but in just two weeks?

UpSkaill is more than a brand. It’s a proof of concept. A demonstration of what’s now possible when you combine vision, focus, and a toolkit of cutting-edge AI solutions. In this article, we take you behind the scenes of the first seven days — a rapid build that turned an idea into a working platform, with scalable content, integrated payments, and engaging AI-led video lessons.

This is what we achieved during the first week of building UpSkaill, live and in real time.

Day One: Clarity of Purpose and Strategic Planning

Every bold project begins with a problem to solve. For us, it was the growing disconnect between the pace of AI innovation and the speed at which professionals are able to learn and adapt. AI tools are advancing daily, yet the average working professional lacks the time, structure or confidence to explore them effectively.

So, the mission became clear: create an intelligent, accessible, AI-driven platform designed to help people upskill rapidly and on their own terms.

We kicked things off by running fast-paced market research using tools like ChatGPT and Deepseek. This enabled us to gather insight in minutes rather than days. We validated our assumptions through surveys and informal outreach, pinpointing our core learner personas: time-poor professionals, marketing specialists, and aspiring digital creators.

From there, we defined success. Our initial KPIs were ambitious — 1,000 members, £350K+ annual recurring revenue, and sustainable monthly growth. But with a clear USP — that the entire platform would be created by AI and powered with AI — we knew the concept had real potential. Day one ended with a roadmap, a market fit, and a mission: build smarter, teach faster, and prove the tools work by using them ourselves.

Day Two: Defining the Structure of a Scalable Platform

The second day shifted gears from strategy to structure. Building a learning platform isn’t just about designing a website. It requires careful consideration of systems, user roles, and the entire learning experience.

We finalised our tech stack early: React and TypeScript for front-end development, Supabase for the back-end database, Tailwind CSS for styling, and the UI kit from shadcn for sleek, modern components. We mapped out the core user journeys — how a visitor discovers the platform, registers, explores content, and eventually becomes a paid subscriber.

Clear content hierarchy was essential. Modules were broken down into lessons, each categorised as beginner, intermediate or advanced. User roles were clearly defined into three types: Learners, Trainers, and Admins.

We also sketched out the initial seven learning modules that would become the backbone of the platform: Web Design, SEO, Social Media, Digital Marketing, LinkedIn Lead Generation, Email Lead Generation, and AI in Digital Marketing. Day two closed with wireframes, user flows, and the entire platform structure mapped — ready for implementation.

Day Three: Introducing UpSkaill to the World

By the third day, the internal structure was taking shape — and it was time to reveal the brand. UpSkaill, a deliberate twist on the word “upskill”, embodies the promise of learning with AI at speed and scale. The name represents both the learner’s goal and the AI-powered methodology that delivers it.

We launched the UpSkaill brand publicly, sharing early previews on social media to generate buzz and validate interest. At the same time, our development team set up the initial Supabase database, with structured tables for users, modules, lessons and learner progress.

We built the first authentication workflows and designed the early access experience, allowing users to begin interacting with sample lessons. Placeholder content was installed to test navigation and page speed. By the end of Day 3, UpSkaill had a name, a face, and a foundational database — and the first outside users were starting to explore it.

Day Four: User Experience Meets Design Precision

With the core engine in place, we turned our attention to design. The aim was simple: create an intuitive, clean, mobile-first experience where learners could focus without distraction.

We refined layouts for small screens, ensured seamless navigation between lessons, and added features like real-time progress tracking. Learners could now bookmark lessons, view completed modules, and track watch time.

We also introduced subscription tiers — Free, Monthly, and Lifetime — each unlocking different levels of access. Visually, the platform leaned into soft gradients, intelligent spacing, and subtle animations to guide users smoothly through the content. With each component refined and optimised, UpSkaill began to feel like a real product, not just a prototype.

Day Five: AI at Full Power — Generating the Learning Engine

If Days 1 to 4 laid the foundation, Day 5 was where the real magic happened.

Using a blend of ChatGPT, Claude, and carefully crafted prompts, we automated the content creation process. Entire modules — up to 25 lessons each — were generated in minutes, with every lesson including a title, description, learning outcome, and summary.

The content was then auto-formatted into HTML, ready to publish immediately within the platform. This not only saved time; it redefined what’s possible for digital education creators. A process that would normally take weeks was now happening on demand.

We fine-tuned this system to be trainer-friendly, enabling future contributors to use the same AI stack to plan, script, and publish their lessons without needing technical skills. By the end of Day 5, UpSkaill had moved from “learning platform” to “content engine”.

Day Six: Creating Video Lessons with AI Avatars

Lesson content is one thing — but delivering it in an engaging, human-like format is another. Day 6 saw the integration of HeyGen and similar avatar tools to transform text-based lessons into fully voiced video sessions.

Each AI-generated script was fed into the system, which created high-quality video content delivered by lifelike avatars. With branding, titles, and consistent styling applied automatically, the videos looked and sounded polished — all without cameras, actors, lighting, or post-production.

The result? Every lesson came alive, providing learners with a familiar, friendly, and interactive feel, despite being entirely AI-produced. This approach not only cut production time dramatically but also made scaling future modules completely feasible.

Day Seven: SEO, Analytics and Rolling Out Our First Course

The final day of the week focused on infrastructure — the unseen elements that turn a clever build into a business-ready platform.

We embedded best practice SEO throughout the platform. AI-generated meta tags, clean URL structures, structured data, Open Graph markup and instant sitemap indexing ensured that the site would be search-engine ready from day one.

On the analytics side, we implemented Stripe integration for live payment processing, connected dashboards to monitor revenue, tracked user behaviour in real time, and set up lifetime value (LTV) and customer acquisition cost (CAC) analytics.

With the infrastructure in place, we fully rolled out our first module — Web Design — including 25 video lessons, summaries, and downloadable assets. Other modules were already queued, generated and structured for release in Week Two.

Reflections on Week One: A New Era of Learning by Doing

By the end of the first week, we had achieved more than many platforms achieve in several months.

We had created a functioning AI-powered learning platform, complete with lesson content, videos, payments, user tracking, SEO, and a full backend infrastructure. More importantly, everything was built using the same AI tools that learners would discover and master within the platform.

This wasn’t just a successful MVP launch. It was a demonstration of what’s now possible when you fully embrace the potential of AI — not just as a topic to be taught, but as a partner in creation.

Looking ahead, Week Two would focus on community building, certification development, and onboarding external trainers. But already, UpSkaill stood as proof that the future of learning doesn’t need to wait for permission, perfection, or long timelines. It simply needs action.

And thanks to the power of AI, that future is now.

Ready to See It in Action?

If you’re curious about what UpSkaill can offer — whether you’re a learner, a trainer, or a business seeking to adopt AI education — now’s the perfect time to get involved.

🔗 Explore the platform: https://upskaill.co.uk