A Vancouver Island tech veteran is opening the doors to an aspect of app building most founders are never taught.
Abbey Jackson — a Cumberland, BC–based former Staff-level iOS engineer turned product leader — has launched a free six-week program designed to help aspiring founders lead app businesses, not just write code.
Called From Passion to Product: The Complete App Strategy Course, the live program focuses on what Jackson describes as “app leadership”: the product judgment, team direction, and decision-making skills that sit outside programming but often determine whether an app succeeds.
Jackson brings more than a decade of experience shipping mobile products at global technology firms including Rivian, Intel, and Mastercard. Her work has included designing Rivian’s entire mobile release system and architecting a patented mobile communications framework.
Now, she’s applying that experience to founders who typically lack access to elite product training — particularly those outside traditional tech hubs.
“Most people think building an app is about learning to code,” says Jackson. “But the harder problems are deciding what to build, testing whether anyone actually wants it, and leading teams in a way people trust. That’s what we teach.”
Jackson emphasizes the program is not a technical training course. Participants will not learn how to code. Instead, she curates recommended resources for those who want to pursue software development independently while focusing her curriculum on product strategy and leadership.
Built for Technical and Non-Technical Founders
The program intentionally blends engineers with non-technical participants, creating cohorts that reflect the diversity of real-world founders.
Engineers exploring indie development work alongside participants from creative and service professions — from yoga instructors and chefs to tradespeople and first-time entrepreneurs — many of whom have never written software before.
Jackson says the goal is to make product leadership accessible without importing the hype-driven culture often associated with startups.
“At Up Coast, we believe business can be human and still be professional,” she explains. “You don’t need hustle culture to build meaningful products.”
A Free Model Designed to Scale
Jackson has spent 18 months designing a delivery model that keeps the program free while remaining sustainable.
Large cohorts of up to 200 participants learn together in live sessions and peer groups. A small percentage opt into paid group coaching for additional support, while aligned sponsors from the developer tools ecosystem help fund operations.
The structure removes financial pressure on participants while preserving access to experienced guidance.
Expanding Access to Product Leadership
Interest is already coming from engineers, product managers, and non-traditional founders looking to build independent apps rather than remain within corporate product teams.
Jackson sees a growing appetite for ownership — and a widening gap in practical leadership training.
“Talented people are stuck shipping tickets inside big organizations,” she says. “They want to build something of their own but don’t know how to navigate the product side. That’s the gap we’re closing.”
A BC-Based Path Beyond Silicon Valley
By operating from Cumberland, Jackson is also signaling that high-level product education doesn’t need to be centralized in Silicon Valley.
Her long-term vision is to create a more distributed pipeline of capable app leaders emerging from smaller communities and unconventional backgrounds.
Applications for the inaugural cohort running from April 20 to May 31 are now open.
Well done!!