AI for Business Course Review (101 Blockchains): Is It Worth It for Consultants & Startups?

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I may receive affiliate compensation for some of the links below if you decide to purchase or subscribe to a paid product/service. This won’t costs you anything but it helps me run this blog and keep my in-depth content free of charge for readers (like you). All opinions are my own and is for entertainment purpose only.

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In McKinsey’s 2025 State of AI survey, 78% of companies say they use AI in at least one business function. Businesses that learn to apply AI pragmatically move faster on operations, customer experience, and cost control.

What you’ll get from this review: a practical, no-nonsense look at 101 Blockchains’ AI for Business course, what it covers, where it shines, where it falls short, and how it compares with Coursera and Udemy alternatives for different budgets and goals.

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Looking for an {{AI for Business course review}} you can trust? I completed every module, quiz, and resource in 101 Blockchains’ course and compared it with those offered by Coursera and Udemy, so you can pick the best fit for your role and budget.

101 Blockchains AI for Business course logo
Myriam's take

101 Blockchains’ AI for Business course gives consultants and startups a professional, business-first pathway into AI. It’s structured, practical, and comes with a certificate you can actually showcase on LinkedIn.

4.3

Out of 5

4.3/5

Best For

Price

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Consultants

Fair

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Certificate

The AI for Business course is built to help professionals understand how AI fits into everyday business strategy. Instead of diving into technical coding, it frames AI around functions that matter to leaders — marketing and sales, HR, operations, finance, and future planning.

It’s delivered as short video lessons, interactive whiteboard walk-throughs, a handful of tool demos, end-of-module quizzes, and a final exam that issues a certificate on pass. I completed the full set of modules, quizzes, and downloadable materials (slides and eBook).

Course dashboard view with navigation menu

At a glance:

  • Format: 100% online, self-paced videos with whiteboards, demos, and quizzes
  • Length: ~3.0 hours of video content across 7 modules + final exam
  • Materials: downloadable course slides PDF + eBook
  • Outcome: certificate of completion issued by 101 Blockchains (shareable on LinkedIn/email)

Takeaway: a structured view of how to scope AI use cases, assess business impact, and start an adoption strategy

Module highlights

  • Module 1: Introduction to AI in Business (36m) — defines AI levels (ANI, AGI, ASI), functional categories, and business benefits. Ends with a whiteboard and a Bard demo.

  • Module 2: Implementing AI in Business (36m) — covers integration strategies, business workflow analysis, and demos of ChatGPT for Business and HackSocial AI.

  • Module 3: AI for Marketing & Sales (27m) — shows AI-driven insights, targeting, sales tools (Clari, Drift, RegieAI), and a workflow demo.

  • Module 4: AI in HR (21m) — explores AI for talent acquisition, performance management, and engagement. Includes a resume-filtering whiteboard.

  • Module 5: AI in Operations & Supply Chain (8m) — quick overview of predictive maintenance, inventory optimization, and supplier management.

  • Module 6: AI in Finance & Accounting (27m) — focuses on fraud detection (Visa, Mastercard examples), expense management, and Bing AI for personal finance.

  • Module 7: Future of AI (20m) — reviews generative AI, XAI, and social implications like job shifts and ethics. Ends with strategy discussion.

Course navigation panel showing expanded module list.

Teaching style

The instructor (Joseph Holbrook) delivers in a clear US accent with a steady pace, which works well for non-native speakers. Lessons are broken into digestible segments, and the whiteboard sessions keep concepts practical. He also gives examples beyond the slides (e.g., prompts for a blog or customer scenario), which adds value.

However, the course doesn’t spend much time on his professional background. Aside from a short “about” slide and the website landing page, learners don’t hear much about his direct AI experience. For a professional certificate course, more details here would add credibility and reassure learners.

Whiteboard demo – explaining how AI processes inputs into outputs.

Where it’s practical

  • Consultants and startups get direct value from the whiteboard strategy walk-throughs (e.g, cookie shop, hiring process, resume screening).

     

  • Functional demos (Bard, ChatGPT, RegieAI, Bing AI) illustrate how tools fit into workflows, not just theory.

     

  • Non-technical managers can finish the course with a clearer sense of how to start small AI pilots within their teams.

Where it’s thinner

  • No peer interaction: You learn solo; there are no discussion boards or assignments to compare.

  • Polish gap: Slides look dated (text-heavy, static). Coursera/Udemy visuals feel more modern and engaging.

Pros & Cons of the AI for Business course review

TL;DR: This course is suitable for business users who want a structured, non-technical walkthrough with a certificate at the end. The breadth across multiple business functions is a plus, but the delivery feels dated and lacks interactivity compared to Coursera and Udemy.

Pros

  • Clear, non-technical explanations for managers and analysts

  • Covers all key functions (marketing, HR, operations, finance) in ~3 hours

  • Whiteboard strategy sessions make abstract concepts more tangible

  • Quizzes and final exam add accountability and structure

  • Professional certificate you can share on LinkedIn or in proposals

  • Straightforward navigation that works smoothly on both desktop and mobile

Cons

  • Slides look dated compared to Coursera’s modern visuals

     

  • Limited interactivity — no assignments, forums, or peer discussion

     

  • Some demos are “talked through” rather than fully shown on screen

Inside Module 1 – lesson slide with trainer video inset.

When you’re weighing training options, price is just one part of the decision. I compared 101 Blockchains’ AI for Business with Coursera’s AI for Everyone and Udemy’s Artificial Intelligence for Business 2025 (Varun Bhutani). Prices are shown in USD for consistency (regional amounts in your screenshots were £36 for Coursera and £14.99 for Udemy).

101 Blockchains – AI for Business

  • $149 list, often discounted to $99 at checkout (no countdown or expiration displayed).

  • Refunds: 7-day window with conditions, only visible in the footer — not inside the course dashboard.

  • Positioned as a professional certificate course with whiteboards, demos, quizzes, and a final exam.

101 Blockchains AI for Business – $149 list, discounted to $99 at time of review.

Coursera – AI for Everyone (Andrew Ng)

  • Free audit limited to Module 1, after which you need to upgrade for graded assignments and the certificate.

  • Paid certificate ≈ $45 USD (from £36 in your screenshot).

  • Highly polished platform with strong university branding.

  • Over 2.1 million enrollments and 1,000+ reviews, giving it enormous credibility.

  • Content is conceptual/theory-oriented – excellent for building awareness, but lighter on direct business implementation.

Coursera AI for Everyone course – enroll free to audit, paid certificate ≈ $45.

Udemy – Artificial Intelligence for Business 2025 (Varun Bhutani)

  • One-off purchase ~ $19 USD (from £14.99 shown in your screenshot).

  • Practical but lightweight syllabus (customer insights, forecasting, marketing tools, business applications) from your screenshot of the course outline.

  • No exam; certificate is a generic Udemy completion badge.

  • Recognition is mixed, and production quality is basic, but it’s a low-risk entry point if you just want a quick orientation.

Udemy Artificial Intelligence for Business 2025 – ~ $19 USD (from £14.99 observed during review; regional pricing may vary).

Comparison table

Platform Typical Cost (USD) Depth & Style Recognition Good For
101 Blockchains – AI for Business $149 list, often $99 Structured business-first modules, whiteboards, demos, quizzes, final exam Professional certificate Consultants, analysts, startup leaders
Coursera – AI for Everyone Free audit (Module 1 only); ~$45 for full certificate Conceptual/theory-focused with polished visuals Strong university brand; 2M+ enrollments, 1K+ reviews Broad audiences, awareness training
Udemy – AI for Business 2025 (Bhutani) ~$19 one-off Lightweight, practical syllabus (customer insights, marketing use cases); no exam Generic Udemy completion badge Budget buyers, quick orientation

Note: USD amounts are approximate conversions from regional prices. Actual checkout pricing may vary by promotions and location.

Value takeaway

  • 101 Blockchains sits in the middle: pricier than Udemy and Coursera’s audit, but more structured, practical, and certification-oriented.

     

  • Coursera shines for scale and credibility (millions of learners, big-name instructor, academic branding), but its content is more conceptual, and free audit is short-lived.

     

  • Udemy is the cheapest and useful as a bite-sized orientation, but lacks recognition and the depth consultants or startups usually need.

     

👉 For consultants and startup founders, 101 Blockchains’ edge is its business-practical framing and certificate you can showcase on LinkedIn or in proposals. It’s designed to translate into real client workshops and projects, rather than just giving you high-level awareness.

Getting started with 101 Blockchains was quick and straightforward. After purchase, I received a confirmation email to set my password and landed directly on the course dashboard.

Navigation is simple: modules are listed in a left-hand sidebar, and the main player window sits on the right. It’s easy to pick up where you left off or expand a module to see its lessons.

Welcome email confirming course access and account setup.

The onboarding flow is kept lean. A short Welcome video (3:30 min) introduces the curriculum, followed by a disclaimer screen and immediate access to the two main resources: the course slides PDF and the eBook.

Overall, onboarding feels smooth and minimal — you can start learning within minutes. It’s not as elaborate as Coursera, which explains certificates and support more clearly, but it works well if you just want to jump straight into the content.

Support is available in three ways: directly from the course dashboard (which opens an email form), through the “Support” link on the main site, or via the “Contact Us” option in the footer.

Support options available in the dashboard and via the contact form.

For resources, the course provides:

  • A slides PDF

  • An eBook (expanded notes on the lessons)

  • A set of free online flashcards on the 101B site — these are simple Q&A cards drawn from the core content, useful for quick revision or testing yourself on the go.

Compared with Coursera’s peer forums or Udemy’s Q&A feature, the 101B resource library feels learner-friendly. But the flashcards do add a handy way to reinforce learning beyond the video lessons.

On completion, you earn a downloadable certificate that you can easily add to LinkedIn or share with clients. Unlike Udemy’s generic badges, this feels more formal and demonstrates that you passed a final exam. Coursera still has the edge in brand recognition, but 101B’s certificate is practical and professional.

Final exam result – 80% pass outcome.

The course is browser-based and works seamlessly on both desktop and mobile devices. Content comes in the form of videos, PDFs, and quizzes – no additional software required.

The course is fully responsive, with no difference between the desktop and mobile experience. Videos load smoothly in both portrait and landscape, quizzes are easy to complete on smaller screens, and whiteboard demos remain clear.

For consultants or startup founders often working on the go, being able to switch seamlessly between devices is a real plus.

Mobile views – course video lesson and quiz screen on iPhone.

One of the most practical parts of the course is the whiteboard sessions, which walk through simple but relatable scenarios. Examples like a cookie shop business plan, a hiring workflow, or resume screening help non-technical stakeholders picture where AI can fit into daily operations.

For consultants and startups, these sessions act as a springboard:

  • Discovery workshops: The whiteboards are useful icebreakers to spark ideas.

     

  • Capability mapping: while the course frames use cases simply (sometimes too simplistically), consultants can extend these steps into proper as-is vs. to-be mapping to identify opportunities.

     

  • Team orientation: Although not taught as a formal module, the shared language created by these demos helps set the stage before technical teams are involved.

     For a broader look across industries, I’ve also covered AI applications that show where these skills are.

Strategy whiteboard: mapping goals and workflows to AI use cases.

Where the course could go further is in execution depth. The course stays at the ideation stage – it doesn’t extend into execution planning.

Market context: A McKinsey survey found that 94% of employees and 99% of executives report familiarity with generative AI tools, but leaders often underestimate employee use — a pattern also highlighted in PwC’s AI predictions report. Training that’s aligned to workflows, rather than just concepts, is where the real opportunity lies.

The course page doesn’t state when it was last updated, which is unusual for an AI-related program. In a fast-changing field, update cadence matters – stale content quickly loses value.

By contrast, Udemy courses display “last updated” metadata right on the course card, and the 2025 AI for Business listing confirms a recent refresh. Coursera doesn’t always display an update date, but tends to refresh content annually.

The core course is solid, but for consultants and startup leaders, these upgrades would make it far more actionable:

Expand the quiz bank
Add more questions and provide explanations for correct and incorrect answers. This would make the quizzes more of a learning tool and less predictable on retakes.

Show update transparency
Display a “last updated” date on the course page and refresh the quiz bank regularly. For fast-moving AI topics, this builds trust that the content is current.

Strengthen learning resources

Beyond slides and the eBook, include practical add-ons such as templates, datasets, or checklists that learners can use in real client projects.

Clarify support expectations
Add details on whether support covers only technical issues or also content-related questions, as well as publish expected response times (SLA).

Include a pilot plan or prep checklist
A simple downloadable worksheet with discovery questions, KPIs, and risk prompts would help learners apply the lessons directly to real-world AI pilots.

Introduce the instructor’s background in the course
A short module or opening segment on the trainer’s experience would build confidence, especially for business professionals deciding between this and university-backed options like Coursera.

This course is best suited to business professionals who want to understand AI in a structured, non-technical way and walk away with a certificate they can share on LinkedIn or in proposals. That includes:

  • Consultants and analysts looking to guide client conversations.

  • Transformation managers and startup founders needing a business-ready framework.

  • Non-technical leaders who want to understand how AI applies across functions.

It’s not ideal for developers or data scientists who want hands-on coding or deployment training – the course is about business application, not model-building.

Broader trend: A Forbes survey found that 71% of employers now say they prefer candidates with AI skills over more experience without them. That’s why a business-first credential like this can still add weight in today’s job market.

From a consultant and startup perspective, three features stand out as most valuable:

  1. Business-first framing
    The course always positions AI from a business lens, not a technical one. This helps consultants and non-technical leaders build cross-functional buy-in without getting lost in jargon.

  2. Straightforward format
    Lessons are short, modular, and supported by whiteboards, quizzes, and a final exam. It’s a format you can fit around client work or startup schedules.

  3. Certificate outcome
    On passing the exam, you earn a downloadable certificate. This isn’t just symbolic – it’s a credential you can add to LinkedIn profiles, client decks, or funding proposals to demonstrate awareness of AI at a business level.

If you’re weighing 101 Blockchains against other popular entry-level AI business courses, here are the two closest options:

  • Coursera: AI for Everyone (Andrew Ng) – theory-first, university-backed, polished interface. Free to audit, ~$45 for a certificate.

  • Udemy: Artificial Intelligence for Business 2025 (Varun Bhutani) – compact, updated in 2025, ~$19 one-off. Budget-friendly, but less recognition than Coursera or 101B.

I’ve also written a ChatGPT training course review if you want a hands-on generative AI option.

For consultants, startup founders, and business leaders, 101 Blockchains’ AI for Business course is worth it if you’re looking for a structured, non-technical program with a professional certificate.

If you’re on a tight budget, Coursera’s free audit or Udemy’s $19 course are useful entry points. But if you want something more formal, business-focused, and certificate-backed, 101B is the stronger choice.

For anyone who needs hands-on builds, coding, or model deployment, this course isn’t enough on its own – you’ll want to pair it with a technical option.

For examples of how AI training translates into daily work, see my analysis of AI in the workplace.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the AI for Business course worth it?

Yes – if you want a business-first overview with a certificate and don’t need hands-on coding. It’s most useful for consultants, startup leaders, and non-technical managers who want to frame AI use cases in real business contexts.

How long does the course take?

It’s a compact program: ~3 hours of video across 7 modules, plus quizzes and a final exam. Most learners can finish it in a few focused sessions.

What skills will I gain?

You’ll gain confidence in applying AI concepts to customer service, efficiency, compliance, and process improvement. The whiteboards and demos give you a shared vocabulary for cross-functional teams, so you can discuss AI with both executives and technical colleagues.

Does the certificate carry weight?

The 101B certificate is downloadable and shareable on LinkedIn. It isn’t a university credential like Coursera’s, but it signals structured learning and is stronger than a generic Udemy completion badge.

What if I need hands-on builds?

This course is not designed for developers. If you need coding or deployment skills, pair it with a technical course – 101B works best as the business strategy layer.

This article reviews 101 Blockchains’ AI for Business course in detail, covering its format, teaching style, quizzes, certificate, pricing, and refund terms. It explains who gets the most value, where it falls short, and how it compares with Coursera’s AI for Everyone and Udemy’s Artificial Intelligence for Business 2025. Readers get pros and cons, a pricing comparison, and guidance on when to choose 101B. Best fit: consultants, business leaders, and startup founders who want a certificate-backed, business-first introduction to AI.

Hi, I’m Myriam.

I love blending tech with change management, user experience, project management, business analysis, streamlining processes, improving customer journeys, and designing business structures. While I’m not the top expert, I enjoy exploring these areas and sharing my insights. Whether it’s for large corporations or small startups, I’m passionate about finding efficient ways for them to work. When I’m not doing that, I enjoy experimenting with new recipes and attending artsy events. This blog is my space to chat about all the cool business and tech topics I have discovered.

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