Develop Yourself

There are some major changes coming to Parsity and this podcast. As a listener, I appreciate you sincerely for listening and I want to extend the largest discount we've ever done for our 30 day Javascript program.  It's usually $49 but I'm reducing it to $10. Complete the 30 days and you got yourself a $1400 discount to Parsity's software engineering program. 👉 Join Dev30 👈 I...

"We don't really need developers any more" "In 2 years, the tools will be so good, that no one will be writing code" "Learn a trade bro" I've heard all of these phrases in the last week and it's honestly getting to me. Too often, the people with the loudest microphones have the least experience with the tools we're using. Besides being a talking he...

Ryan is a current student at Parsity who build an app for his employer, Smoothie King, to suggest drinks in a chat interface using a powerful and lesser-known AI technology: RAG. RAG stands for retrieval augmented generation. Basically, providing information (like smoothie recipes) to an AI model so it can return a highly specific response. Ryan breaks down how he finds the time to build side proj...

You’ll learn the six core JS skills to master before frameworks, why TC39 keeps changing the language, and how to test your skills with a challenge you can access below. 👉 Try out the JS Form Challenge. 👈 We also cover: Why hiring trends still test JavaScript, even when jobs say React How to think like a developer: requests, responses, and UI updates The fastest way to level up without AI shortc...

Let's be honest - interviews suck. But you can't suck at them. In this episode I break down what your next interview as a junior developer will LIKELY include. Your mileage will vary. Grab the interview guide below which includes a playback of a live event that Parsity recently hosted and a ton of resources:  https://brianjenney.substack.com/p/the-junior-dev-interview-guide Send us a tex...

Thinking about learning to code with ChatGPT, Cursor, or Copilot? Hit pause for ten minutes. In this episode, I break down why AI isn’t replacing developers but it is making it harder to learn.  You’ll learn the right time to start using AI as a beginner, how to avoid outsourcing the struggle that builds real skill, and the “teach-back” method that can boost your learning retention by up to 90%. R...

Original article: https://medium.com/@wlockett/you-have-no-idea-how-screwed-openai-actually-is-8358dccfca1c Your AI engineer starter project: https://parsity.io/ai-with-rag Send us a text Shameless Plugs 🧑‍💻 Free 5 day email course to go from HTML to AI 🤔 Got a question you want answered on the pod? Drop it here Apply for 1 of 12 spots at Parsity - Learn to build complex software with AI integr...

Grab the templates for posting to LinkedIn here: https://www.parsity.io/learning-in-public I’ve grown from 0 to nearly 40K followers on LinkedIn with barely any viral posts, and along the way I learned how the platform really works.  In this episode, I’m breaking down the exact strategy junior developers are using right now to get recruiters to notice them and get hired faster. So if you’ve hit “E...

👉  Your adult time audit worksheet  👈 I get it. There is no time.  You have kids, maybe adult dependents or a really good show you're binging in between our slow descent into a dystopian reality. I don't believe in fluff. Let's cover a practical guide on learning to code as a busy adult and some of the easy (and not so easy) steps you're going to need to take. Send us a text...

Let's weigh college, bootcamps, and the self-taught route with blunt pros and cons, then map each path to market realities, hiring filters, and long-term growth.  The goal is to help you choose a route that gets you hired faster without stalling your career later. • how degrees are used as filters and where they matter • why top-tier schools win on internships and networks • the gap between C...

I just quit my job as a senior AI developer, and while helping hire my replacement, I realized how few people actually know how AI apps work.  In this episode, I walk through Retrieval-Augmented Generation step by step—the same system I built at work—and show you the real skills developers need right now. 👉 Grab a hands-on project with a video you can follow along with here 👈 Hold your spot in t...

Just give up? Everyone says no one’s hiring junior developers anymore — but is that actually true? In this episode, I sit down with recruiter David Roberts to uncover what’s really happening in the job market, why most applicants are getting filtered out, and what you can do differently to land your first role. We break down the biggest myths about entry-level tech jobs, how recruiters actually th...

Every headline says AI is eating developer jobs. But spend a week in production and you’ll see the opposite: brittle code, flaky tests, and tools that look fast until you actually ship something. In this episode, I break down why the “AI replaces engineers” story sells so well—to investors, to execs, and to lazy headlines—but falls apart in the real world. We’ll talk through a Cornell + METR study...

I thought Ben was a troll when he slid into my DMs after a LinkedIn argument. Turns out, he’s building some of the most practical AI systems I’ve seen. In this episode, we talk about how that disagreement turned into a friendship—and why Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) might be the skill every developer needs in 2026. Connect with Ben here Check out Lobi Software here Finally - if you want to...

Ever had your AI pair programmer stop helping and start breaking everything? I did—and this time, the data proves it wasn’t just me. Claude fell off.  TypeScript that wouldn’t compile, migrations stuck in loops, refactors that went completely sideways. Turns out Anthropic’s own postmortem revealed three separate bugs causing degraded output—context routing issues, output corruption, and TLA-X blah...

After 11 years helping hundreds of career changers switch into software development, I've found the hardest part isn't teaching technical skills but rewiring brains from misleading online advice that hurts new developers.  Much of this advice is well-intentioned, but some is designed purely for clicks and engagement. • "Don't chase titles!" • "Don't build CRUD ap...

Let's tackle three of the most common struggles career changers face:  1. Breaking into tech from another field 2. Networking without feeling fake 3. Staying motivated when the job search drags on.  If you’re wondering how to make the leap, keep connections warm, or simply not burn out—this one’s for you. Got a question of your own? 👉 Drop it here 👈 Send us a text Shameless Plugs 🧑‍💻 Free...

Have you ever wondered why some developers keep getting promoted while others stay stuck at the same level despite their technical skills?  The answer might surprise you. Through practical, actionable steps, I break down exactly how developers at any level can strategically increase their influence and advance their careers.  You'll learn how to gain credibility before speaking up, frame conc...

Breaking into software development isn’t about finishing another tutorial—it’s about building something that matters. In this episode, I’ll show you how to choose a side project that proves your skills, keeps you motivated, and actually impresses employers. You’ll learn: Why great data makes or breaks your app How to apply the 80/20 rule —stick with tech you know, sprinkle in something new Picking...

The tech job market is sending seriously mixed signals in 2025. While social media overflows with doom and gloom about hiring freezes and impossible entry barriers, actual data tells a surprisingly different story.  Job openings are trending upward, with big tech companies like Meta, Google, and Apple actively expanding their engineering teams. What's really happening is a massive shift in wh...

Remember when coding bootcamps promised you could learn to code and land a job in just three months?  That golden era of easy entry into tech has fundamentally changed, yet the marketing hasn't caught up with reality. In this eye-opening conversation, ex-Google engineer Zubin and host Brian cut through the hype to deliver a reality check about what it actually takes to transition into softwar...

AI is changing coding faster than anyone expected.  Two years ago, autocomplete felt wild—now people with zero dev experience are shipping apps over a weekend.  The question isn’t “is AI replacing developers?” It’s “how do you actually use it without wrecking your codebase?”  In this episode, I’ll break down when to use AI (and when not to), why Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) is the real gam...

It’s Labor Day weekend and, honestly? I’m burned out. Maybe this isn’t the best business move, but I’d rather keep it real with you than fake the whole “everything is great in tech” narrative. I’ve been plenty vocal about why AI isn’t about to replace us all tomorrow, much to the dismay of to all the AI bros out there. But here’s the other side: being a developer is nothing like those “day in the...

What happens when you give an AI agent full control over a small business? I mean, what could go wrong? Things started off rough and then got down right creepy near the end of this experiment. You can read the original article here: https://www.anthropic.com/research/project-vend-1 Send us a text Shameless Plugs 🧑‍💻 Free 5 day email course to go from HTML to AI 🤔 Got a question you want answere...

What does it actually mean to be an “AI Engineer”?  Honestly—not much. The title is overloaded and vague.  But what is meaningful right now is knowing how to build real projects with AI that go beyond toy chatbots and portfolio fluff. In this episode, I walk you through the exact project I’ve been building at two different AI startups: a Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) app . You’ll learn how...