How Learn With Dorell Started
After years of free community work, I finally tried something paid — and had to work through a lot of internal resistance to get there.
Falling in Love with n8n
I was experimenting with AI tools when I discovered n8n.
And honestly? I was hooked.
Here was a tool that made automation accessible — not just for developers, but for anyone willing to learn. You could connect APIs, build workflows, integrate AI — all without writing much code.
I kept building things. Automations for myself. Workflows that saved hours. Systems that just worked.
The more I used it, the more I wanted to share it.
The Hard Part: Charging for Something
Here’s what made this different from everything else I’d done.
For years, I’d been serving the community for free — JavaScript Cebu, React Cebu, Laravel Cebu. Meetups, workshops, organizing. All free. That was the identity I knew.
So when the idea of a paid program came up, I struggled.
Why now? Why charge? Wouldn’t people think I was selling out?
The Realization
I had to sit with this for a while. And eventually, I landed on something that felt right:
You’re not forcing anyone.
The free community work continues. The meetups, the sharing, the organizing — none of that stops.
But for those who are ready to go deeper with your guidance** — **who want structured learning, hands-on building, real accountability — there’s now a path for that too.
Not everyone needs it. But those who are ready will find it.
Why Teaching Works for Me
There’s another reason I wanted to do this: teaching reinforces what I’ve learned.
When you have to explain something to someone else, you understand it better yourself. The gaps in your knowledge show up. You’re forced to fill them.
This isn’t me as a guru handing down wisdom. It’s me learning alongside people, just a few steps ahead.
The First Cohort
12 people. 4 weeks. Hands-on building with n8n and AI.
We built:
- Personal automation systems for repetitive tasks
- AI workflows that connect ChatGPT to existing tools
- Data pipelines that run automatically
Small group. Real projects. Direct access throughout.
What’s Next
Learn With Dorell is now a recurring program. The format stays the same: small cohorts, hands-on learning, real systems.
The goal: help people become builders, not just consumers of tutorials.
Want to join? Check out learnwithdorell.com for the next cohort.