Nearly a decade ago I started my first day as a developer. The night before the first day, I was barely able to sleep. Would I be found out as a fake developer and fired immediately? Would they give me a task I couldn’t figure out? How long before they realized they made an error in their hiring process? Well, I never got “found out” and I took on more than a few tasks I couldn’t figure out… yet. If you're learning to code or recently got hired - I lay out a plan to help you tackle your first da...
Dec 12, 2024•19 min
ReactJS is the most popular JavaScript library. Love it or hate it, it's a safe bet to learn. Let's walk through how much JS you need to know before ReactJS, how to create your first component and what to do next. PS. I mentioned a video about working with APIs. You can watch it here. Send us a text Shameless Plugs 🧑💻 Join Parsity - For career changers who want to pivot into software. ✉️ Got a question you want answered on the pod? Drop it here Zubin's LinkedIn (ex-lawyer, former Googler, Bri...
Dec 09, 2024•22 min
The amount of information about how to get into software is overwhelming. Often times, the loudest voices have the least knowledge or experience. Who do you trust? What do you study? What should you build? How do you prove to someone they can trust you? Let's break down a step by step guide you can use land your first job as a software developer. Send us a text Shameless Plugs 🧑💻 Join Parsity - For career changers who want to pivot into software. ✉️ Got a question you want answered on the pod...
Dec 04, 2024•26 min
A few months ago, during my first week at a new job, the CEO caught me red-handed using ChatGPT. “What are you doing?” he asked. I told him the truth: “Trying to match this UI design to the design spec—I use ChatGPT all the time for stuff like this. I’m not the best at styling.” His response? “Oh, cool. I had no idea you could do that.” In this episode, I’ll share the full story and break down how to use AI tools like ChatGPT strategically—without risking your reputation or blindly copying code....
Dec 02, 2024•19 min
In this episode, I share the best tools, courses, and resources to help you level up your skills and accelerate your path to becoming a software developer. From Codecademy to Scrimba, system design tips and books that have made a huge impact on me, here's what I think is truly worth your hard-earned money. I have personally used and recommend each of the resources I share with you here. No one paid me a dime to say this stuff. Whether you’re just starting out or advancing your career, there’s so...
Nov 28, 2024•17 min
I chat with Michael, a self-taught developer, about his journey learning Ruby on Rails through project-based learning. We discuss Rails’ philosophy, early projects, overcoming challenges, and the importance of community and structure for self-taught developers. Michael shares resources and advice for aspiring developers navigating their learning path and why Odin Project has worked so well for him. Send us a text Shameless Plugs 🧑💻 Join Parsity - For career changers who want to pivot into sof...
Nov 25, 2024•31 min
After speaking with over 600 of you out there, I got a pretty good idea of what you're likely struggling with. I hope you enjoy these cheat sheets to help fix your janky resume, create a cool side project and maybe even get over that impostor-y feeling in your head. Impostor Syndrome Killer Side Project Cheat Sheet Fix Your Resume Send us a text Shameless Plugs 🧑💻 Join Parsity - For career changers who want to pivot into software. ✉️ Got a question you want answered on the pod? Drop it here Z...
Nov 21, 2024•22 min
Brooke Sweedar is a recent coding bootcamp grad currently on the job hunt. She gets real about what it actually takes to make a coding bootcamp work for you (especially if you're a busy professional), her meteoric rise on LinkedIn, how she's standing out in a crowded market and the reality of career change. Plus some hawttttt takes. You can connect with here here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brooke-sweedar/ Send us a text Shameless Plugs 🧑💻 Join Parsity - For career changers who want to pivot...
Nov 18, 2024•43 min
When you went to school, you were rewarded for completing assignments on time and memorizing facts. This same approach will NOT work for becoming an employable software engineer. In fact, it will have the opposite effect. On your learning-to-code journey, there are many mistakes you will make. You're going to mess up, produce sh*tty code and fail a ton of interviews. These are unavoidable and necessary to your growth as a developer. Some pitfalls, however, should absolutely be avoided. I've spok...
Nov 14, 2024•21 min
"Maybe Javascript just isn't for me..." Let's talk mental models and Javascript. A good mental model is a way to "latch" onto a foreign concept by relating it to something you understand. I speak with Kylo Robinson, an accomplished Javascript developer who nearly quit learning to code when he came across JS. Since then, he's created a truly unique way to visualize Javascript concepts with mental models to cover everything from scope, closures, variables, functions and other major JS concepts. Ch...
Nov 11, 2024•39 min
Data structures and algorithms aren't just for interviews. Whether you know it or not, you are standing on the shoulders of giants when you write code. DSA doesn't have to be intimidating. Let's explore some real world examples of common structures and algos and some ways to learn them. Send us a text Shameless Plugs 🧑💻 Join Parsity - For career changers who want to pivot into software. ✉️ Got a question you want answered on the pod? Drop it here Zubin's LinkedIn (ex-lawyer, former Googler, B...
Nov 07, 2024•30 min
There is no magical technology stack which will make getting that first job easy. There are certainly technology choices I would avoid and others I would make sure to learn. If becoming a software developer was as easy as learning the "right" technology then most people wouldn't pay tens of thousands learning computer science or for mentorship . I outline the exact tech stack I would be learning right now in order to be more hire-able in 2025.. Here's the SQL episode I make reference to in the e...
Nov 04, 2024•27 min
Learning in public isn't about likes. It's not about becoming an influencer. Learning in public is a practical way to validate yourself as a developer, learn the art of writing and become discoverable in a sea of cookie-cutter bootcamp grads. We will go over why you want to learn in public, how to do it and a way to meet other developers without being weird. Grab my learning in public templates here Send us a text Shameless Plugs 🧑💻 Join Parsity - For career changers who want to pivot into so...
Oct 31, 2024•33 min
In this episode, I chat with Harley Ferguson , the seven-foot-tall South African CEO of Origen Software. We dig into strategies for going viral, crafting engaging posts, and how Harley’s unique perspective has helped him build an audience of over 60,000 followers. Whether you're looking to become LinkedIn famous or just stand out in the developer market - you'll walk away with actionable steps to begin learning in public the right way . Harley is an amazing human and an excellent writer. You can...
Oct 28, 2024•24 min
Let's go over some super practical tips to improve your JavaScript code and look a little less junior. Got suggestions for an upcoming show or a guest I should reach out to? Email me at brian@parsity.io! Send us a text Shameless Plugs 🧑💻 Join Parsity - For career changers who want to pivot into software. ✉️ Got a question you want answered on the pod? Drop it here Zubin's LinkedIn (ex-lawyer, former Googler, Brian-look-a-like)...
Oct 24, 2024•12 min
In this episode, I’m joined by Rahul Pandey, a former tech lead at Meta and co-founder of JoinTaro , a platform for ambitious software developers. Rahul shares his transparent insights on working in big tech, including the reality of big salaries in FAANG companies and what it’s really like behind the scenes. You can connect with Rahul on LinkedIn . BONUS ALERT 👇 Don't miss out on this course I made for JoinTaro about breaking into tech as an outsider which is FREE for a limited time : https://...
Oct 21, 2024•40 min
"AI is coming for your tech job!" "There's no hope for coders in 2024!" "Learn to code?! Ha, that was so 2015." Do these click bait titles sound familiar? I've gone down the YouTube rabbit hole of doom and gloom videos about the tech job market and AI. The reality is much less interesting which is why you won't see much of it on platforms where extreme opinions get the most eye balls. Excuse me while I go on a rant about layoffs, AI and getting hired in 2024 with some facts to back me up. You ca...
Oct 17, 2024•16 min
There is a valuable skill that will set you apart from most developers. It will go from a nice to have to a requirement if you want to move into leadership: Public speaking. If you’re like me, maybe you think you can just hide in your code hole and never speak. I tried this method for a few years and it sorta worked. I didn’t get fired. I also couldn’t get promoted or make much of an impact. In this epsiode, Geoffrey Huck shares how he went from being terrified of speaking with strangers to coac...
Oct 14, 2024•42 min
One started a multi-million dollar business. 💰 Another wrote a popular library for unit testing that you've probably heard of. 🧠 The last one called me out on my b.s. 😅 I stole a little piece of each of these developers to accelerate my own career. I've been very lucky. I live in the epicenter of the tech universe in the San Francisco Bay Area. Every nerdy developer with a dollar and a dream ends up here somehow. You don’t have to get lucky though. I want to share the lessons I learned from e...
Oct 10, 2024•21 min
Dr. Junaid Akhtar is content architect at Educative and an expert in the science of education and specifically, learning to code. In this episode we discuss: - what most people get wrong about learning to code and learning in general - the best way to stay motivated - why 10,000 hours to master a subject is BS - project-based learning and why developers do best with this strategy Dr. Junaid is the kind of person more new coders should be listening to. His advice is based on years of experience a...
Oct 07, 2024•45 min
Professional software developers overwhelmingly use SQL but few coding bootcamps teach it. Learning some basic SQL doesn't need to be overwhelming or complicated. Listen to the episode and follow along with this post to get some hands-on practice with SQL. Click here to grab your guide. Sign up for early access to our upcoming Python and Data Engineering program. Send us a text Shameless Plugs 🧑💻 Join Parsity - For career changers who want to pivot into software. ✉️ Got a question you want an...
Oct 03, 2024•16 min
Without a clear path from junior developer to senior, most developers fall into the coding trap: You double down on your current programming language to become an "expert" You add more tools to your tool belt like a new, more impressive programming language (Rust anyone?) You obsess over code quality and writing error free code You wonder why you haven't been promoted yet Plot twist: I am you. I made all these mistakes and have since gone on to be a senior at multiple companies even though I've ...
Sep 30, 2024•22 min
Before you watch another 100 hour YouTube tutorial, try these 4 side projects which are small enough to do over a weekend and will teach you a hell of a lot about writing JavaScript. In this episode we will explore the concepts you will learn with these projects, how to get started and where to find information to fill in the gaps in your knowledge. Here's the API I mentioned in the show: JSON Placeholder Here's the Form Challenge If you complete the Form Challenge please tag me on IG or LinkedI...
Sep 26, 2024•22 min
Dicky Kitchen is a self-taught developer who made the leap into tech in his 40s—without a degree, bootcamp, or formal schooling. Dicky is in his first 90 days as a professional developer after a career as a phyiscal therapy assistant. We dive into Dicky’s journey from physical therapy to coding, how he found success learning online, and the sacrifices it took to build a new career from scratch. If you’re over 30, switching careers, or just curious about how to break into tech, this episode is pa...
Sep 23, 2024•48 min
Don't hate mail me just yet. “Free” work as a developer can feel like a controversial topic, but it could be the key to jump-starting your career. I’ll walk you through strategies for gaining credibility, building a portfolio, and turning your free work into a launchpad for your development career. You will learn how to: -Discover valuable projects, not junk work - Position yourself as a developer while still learning -Leverage open-source and freelance work for career growth And don’t worry, th...
Sep 19, 2024•21 min
I know the smartest and best looking developers are listening to this podcast. As a thank you, here's a mini-tutorial to learn some backend software development as a Javascript developer. Video: https://youtu.be/9mU6Mnq9ZXY Code: https://github.com/CodeCoachJS/js_pros_backend_starter.git Please share this and tag me if you do! One last thing 👇 Join me and Aaron Cordova, a recent guest on the podcast to talk about how you can actually break into tech as an outsider. Register here. Send us a tex...
Sep 16, 2024•26 min
In the last decade, I got sober, learned to code, and lost 50 pounds. At the end of the day, the key to all of these transformations came down to habits. In this episode, I break down how small, consistent changes can lead to big life transformations—whether you want to improve your coding skills, land a job, or just build better habits in life. Let's learn the science behind habit formation and practical tips to help you create habits that last. Send us a text Shameless Plugs 🧑💻 Join Parsity...
Sep 12, 2024•23 min
The field of software development tends to attract neuro-divergent people, and because of the emphasis on problem-solving, long stretches of focus, and task management, developers with ADHD often face unique challenges. Henry Lam, an ADHD coach for professionals who shares practical strategies for managing time boosting motivation minimizing distractions This advice can be applied for anyone learning to code and especially to neuro-divergent developers. Whether you’re struggling with procrastina...
Sep 09, 2024•24 min
Wondering where to take your first step in the tech world? Should you aim for a fast-paced startup, a steady mid-sized company, or a giant like Google? In this episode I share my personal journey through all three—from a stressful startup experience to working at Fortune 100 companies. Learn the pros and cons of each environment , and get actionable advice on how to navigate your career, make smart choices, and avoid common mistakes along the way. Lastly - this is the last week to get a major di...
Sep 05, 2024•30 min
In this interview, Dagna Bieda, an accomplished software engineer and author of "Brain Refactor" , shares how she struggled with communication as a developer and how she had to "refactor" her own mindset to reach the next level in her career as well as: Common pitfalls that most software engineers make in their career Why "mindset" is more than a fluffy buzzword Marketing yourself as a developer Psychedelics?! This convo took a turn I never expected 😅. 📖 Get her book here 💼 Connect with Dag...
Sep 03, 2024•44 min
