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PART 5 · TOOLS
PART 5
TOOLS
5 classes. Each class holds its own standalone lessons.
PART 5 CLASSES
CLASSES, THEN LESSONS.
CLASS 13APIs: How Software Talks to Software
An API Is a Counter Between Two Pieces of Software
The basic request-and-response exchange that lets software work together.
READ LESSON →September 12, 2026 · CLASS 13Read a Request: URL, Method, Headers, Parameters, and Body
Learn the five parts of an API request and what each one means.
READ LESSON →September 12, 2026 · CLASS 13Read a Response: Data, Status Codes, and Useful Errors
Understand what software sends back—and how errors help you debug.
READ LESSON →September 12, 2026 · CLASS 13API Documentation Is a Product Manual for Software
Read the manual before asking an agent to connect a service.
READ LESSON →September 12, 2026 · CLASS 13Your First Model API Call
Send a real model request, read the JSON response, and understand what every piece does.
READ LESSON →CLASS 14API Keys, OAuth, Authentication, and Secrets
Identity Is Not Permission
Authentication says who is asking; permissions decide what they can do.
READ LESSON →September 12, 2026 · CLASS 14API Keys and Environment Variables
Keep machine credentials out of code, browsers, and public repositories.
READ LESSON →September 12, 2026 · CLASS 14OAuth: When a Person Grants an App Limited Access
Understand consent screens, scopes, and limited access without passwords.
READ LESSON →September 12, 2026 · CLASS 14Give an Agent a Small Key Ring
Give each agent only the narrow access it needs to do its job.
READ LESSON →CLASS 15MCP: A Standard Way for AI to Use Tools
MCP Gives an Agent a Tool Shelf
See how MCP gives an AI agent a standard way to discover and use tools.
READ LESSON →September 12, 2026 · CLASS 15Tools, Resources, and Prompts Are Different Things
Know the three different kinds of capability an MCP server can expose.
READ LESSON →September 12, 2026 · CLASS 15Read an MCP Server Before You Connect It
Inspect an MCP server, its permissions, and its boundaries before use.
READ LESSON →September 12, 2026 · CLASS 15An Agent With Tools Needs Boundaries
Put testing, approval, and safe limits around an agent with real tools.
READ LESSON →CLASS 16MCP vs API
API and MCP Solve Different Parts of the Same Problem
Choose between a direct connection and a tool interface for an agent.
READ LESSON →September 12, 2026 · CLASS 16Follow One Tool Call From Question to Result
Trace one AI request all the way through a tool and back to a useful answer.
READ LESSON →September 12, 2026 · CLASS 16Choose the Smallest Useful Connection
Start with the simplest reliable connection, then earn complexity.
READ LESSON →CLASS 17Build vs Connect
Your Product Is Not a Collection of Features You Must Rebuild
Separate the special part of your product from the plumbing you should connect.
READ LESSON →September 12, 2026 · CLASS 17The Modern Builder’s Service Map
Understand the systems a modern application typically connects together.
READ LESSON →September 12, 2026 · CLASS 17Build the Thin Layer That Makes the Product Yours
Turn connected services into a distinct workflow, product, and experience.
READ LESSON →September 12, 2026 · CLASS 17Make a Connection Plan Before You Give an Agent the Keys
Plan services, data, permissions, and rollback before an agent changes anything.
READ LESSON →