Episodes
June 14, 2021
Coder Foundry Coding Bootcamp Review (In-person and Remote)
I invited a couple of graduates on to talk about their experiences at the coding bootcamp, Coder Foundry. Mark went through the in-person program while Anthony went through the remote program. We lucked out, because they clearly had very different experiences and no matter which one you're considering, you get to hear experiences from both. It also sounds like Coder Foundry is doing something interesting with their marketing that you should be aware of. Let us know what you think after hearing…
May 22, 2021
Software Engineers Sharing Their Favorite Libraries and Frameworks
I invited on some previous podcast guests, and we just talked about some of our favorite libraries that we wanted to share, as well as the personal projects we've recently worked on. See if you can count the number of libraries that I mixed up. At the end, everyone shared a piece of feedback for aspiring developers that I think will give tons of value to you if you are trying to become a developer. This episode was a bit of an experiment, and ultimately I think it could be fun to do more casual…
May 17, 2021
Launch School Review (Core and Capstone)
I invited on 3 graduates from Launch School. 2 of them went through the core program, and 1 of them also went through the capstone program. So, we got a variety of experiences. It was really interesting to hear that the curriculum was entirely text based; frameworks weren't taught in the core program; and that the capstone program has a 100% job placement rate (or does it?). You'll hear me challenging a few claims in this episode, but judge what's said for yourselves. There's even a call to act…
May 10, 2021
Coding Bootcamp Research Tips and Questions to Ask (with LearningFuze)
I invited on TJ Kinion, the Program Manager / Career Services Director of LearningFuze to talk about what kinds of things to look for in a coding bootcamp to make sure you have all of the support you need to be successful. In a previous video, I invited on a few coding bootcamp graduates to talk about their experiences at LearningFuze. We talked about the pros and cons of the coding bootcamp. One pro that caught my attention was how the guests seemed to really feel supported. Especially during …
May 3, 2021
UT Austin Coding Bootcamp (Trilogy) Review
I invited on 3 graduates from the coding bootcamp that the The University of Texas at Austin offers. We dove into the pros and cons of this coding bootcamp that's partnered with Trilogy. I've heard of a lot of concerns with anything linked to Trilogy, but you be the judge of that. After watching this episode, let me know what you think. Host/Guests: Don Hansen - https://www.linkedin.com/in/donthedeveloper Reeka Maharaj - https://www.linkedin.com/in/reekamaharaj DeAnna Martinez - https://www.lin…
April 26, 2021
Front End Mock Technical Interview | JavaScript, CSS, React, and Algorithms
Want to know what a legitimate frontend developer interview is really like? I invited on a developer that had originally interviewed me for my second software engineering position. He interviewed a brave soul from our community that's currently trying to get his first position as a developer. Dan started out with questions to test his knowledge with JavaScript & CSS; moved into the algorithm & JavaScript fundamental portion; and then wrapped up with a React project. I think this interview turne…
April 16, 2021
Udacity Front End Web Developer Nanodegree Review in 2020
I invited 3 graduates from Udacity's Front End Web Developer Nanodegree. Nanodegree's are typically more affordable programs compared to coding bootcamps. The real question is, are they enough? At the very least, we dove into this episode with that question in mind. Let me know what you think. What's your opinion of nanodegrees? Host/Guests: Don Hansen - https://www.linkedin.com/in/donthedeveloper Louis Steimel - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lhsthree Patrick Cayer - https://www.linkedin.com/in/p…
April 12, 2021
Codesmith Coding Bootcamp Review in 2020
I invited Zac, a graduate from the coding bootcamp, Codesmith, to come onto the podcast and share his experience. Codesmith was one of my most requested coding bootcamp reviews, ultimately because it had rumors going around, such as only producing mid-senior level developers. We got to the bottom of that, and what he ended up sharing might surprise you. I hope you enjoy! Host/Guest: Don Hansen - https://www.linkedin.com/in/donthedeveloper Zac Haluza - https://www.linkedin.com/in/zhaluza -------…
April 5, 2021
Perpetual Education - A Design Focused Coding Bootcamp?
This isn't your typical coding bootcamp. In fact, I invited on Derek, the CEO of Perpetual Education, just to clarify what he was offering. To be honest, when he initially reached out to me, I was intrigued by the way he advertises the coding bootcamp. It felt design heavy, and seemed to have an entirely different perspective on what a software engineer actually is. This isn't your typical coding bootcamp, and it might not even be for you, but I think it's worth listening to his philosophy on t…
March 29, 2021
Treehouse Full Stack JavaScript Techdegree Review
Last week, I invited on 3 graduates to review Treehouse's front end techdegree. This week, I invited on 3 more graduates to review their full stack JavaScript techdegree. We dove into what they learned, portfolio projects, peer reviews, and constructive criticism for the program. If any of this resonates with your experience or left you questioning whether or not you'd consider this program, let me know. Host/Guests: Don Hansen - https://www.linkedin.com/in/donthedeveloper Aaron Billings - http…
March 22, 2021
Treehouse Front End Web Development Techdegree Review
I invited on 3 graduates to share their experience with Treehouse's Front End Web Development Techdegree. In my opinion, Treehouse was always great at teaching the fundamentals. We dove into this in great detail. An important question came up though - does it do a good job at teaching more than just the basics and prepare graduates for professional developer positions? We talked about this as well. Enjoy! Host/Guests: Don Hansen - https://www.linkedin.com/in/donthedeveloper Clinton Hays - https…
March 15, 2021
Lambda School Coding Bootcamp Review in 2020
I invited 3 Lambda School graduates on to talk about their experience at the coding bootcamp. They shared their experiences with the application process, curriculum, instructors, and career services. Lambda School has had quite a bit of controversy in previous reviews. Of course I brought that up in this podcast episode so that these students could either validate or reject some of the things that's been previously mentioned in reviews, reddit posts, etc. Host/Guests: Don Hansen - https://www.l…
March 8, 2021
freeCodeCamp Review - Does the price match the value provided?
freeCodeCamp is a free online educational program for all aspiring developers. What I really wanted to get down to are 2 things. 1) What value does it provide? 2) Where does it fall short? We definitely answered both of those questions, and much more. As a bonus, there's tons of advice for aspiring developers packed into this episode - especially for those that don't have a lot of money to spend on things like coding bootcamps and CS degrees. Enjoy! Hosts/Guests: Zachary Simonton - https://www.…
March 1, 2021
Career Foundry Coding Bootcamp Review
I invited 3 Career Foundry graduates on to talk about their experience at the coding bootcamp. It's a self-paced program. While they don't have instructors, it sounds like they have mentors and tutors to help you along the way. This is another coding bootcamp that offers a "job guarantee". We read some of the requirements they impose on students in order for the coding bootcamp to have to honor the job guarantee - completely unrealistic expectations.. Also, see you if you can find the easter eg…
Feb. 22, 2021
Devmountain iOS Coding Bootcamp Review
I invited 3 Devmountain graduates on to talk about their experience with the iOS program at the coding bootcamp. It sounds like they prefer hiring former students rather than developers with real experience, which is an interesting choice. What I really loved about this episode was that everyone really shared some nose to the ground and just grind stories that I think will be inspirational for many people. Guests: Perez Willie-Nwobu - https://www.linkedin.com/in/perez-willie-nwobu-240b5b116 Jak…
Feb. 15, 2021
Computer Science Degrees Are Becoming Obsolete For Software Engineers
In this web development podcast episode, I made the statement that within 5 years, under 50% of junior software engineers will have a Computer Science degree. Software engineering is a field that updates too quickly for college curriculums to keep up with at a fast pace, which is often why they're outdated. They put students in a massive amount of debt without any guarantee of a job. Alternative paths such as coding bootcamps and self-paced online programs are on the rise, and rightfully so. Wi…
Feb. 4, 2021
Springboard Coding Bootcamp Review in 2020
I invited 3 Springboard graduates on to talk about their experience at the coding bootcamp. If I'm not mistaken, this is one of the longest coding bootcamps I've reviewed so far. It sounds like they don't have instructors. It's certainly an interesting way to structure a coding bootcamp to say the least. Most importantly, I'm very concerned about how much of a guarantee their "job guarantee" actually is. What graduates shared with me is a red flag in my eyes. Hopefully this gives you some insig…
Feb. 2, 2021
Interviewing the CEO of Nucamp Coding Bootcamp
I invited on Nucamp’s CEO, Ludo, to address much of the feedback from my previous video where I brought on 3 graduates to share their experiences at Nucamp. Given that it’s such a cheap coding bootcamp, we dove into many of the tradeoffs he chose to make when forming Nucamp. I think this is an interesting window into a coding bootcamp CEO's philosophy on curating and managing a coding bootcamp. Previous episode where 3 graduates reviewed Nucamp: https://www.buzzsprout.com/948958/6757864 -------…