Develop Yourself

I spent a few years as an engineering manager, and my buddy Zubin, a former Google engineer, is currently hiring developers at his company. Between the two of us, we’ve seen the good, the bad, and the totally avoidable when it comes to technical interviews. In this episode, we pull back the curtain on what really happens during interviews. What are hiring managers actually looking for? What are th...

Ever feel like you missed your chance to break into tech? That 30 marks some invisible deadline for career reinvention? I've been there—and I'm here to tell you it's absolutely false. My journey from addiction to software engineering began in my thirties , while juggling two kids and a full-time job. The truth about learning to code after 30 isn't sugar-coated: you're play...

What happens when software engineers rely too heavily on AI-assisted coding tools? Brian and Zubin (an ex-Google engineer) dive deep into what they call "The 70% Problem" – the phenomenon where AI coding tools excel at initial scaffolding but falter when tackling the crucial final 30% of engineering work. Drawing from Addy Osmani's insightful article, these experienced developers sh...

What happens when a music educator with performance anxiety decides to become a software developer? Anne discovered coding through The Odin Project and immediately recognized a familiar pattern-based thinking from her music background. "I fell in love with the process of coding, the community of developers," she explains.  Despite being an introvert with social anxiety, she forced hersel...

AI didn’t kill bootcamps — shallow learning did. So what skills actually matter now that building a CRUD app is a commodity? And can you learn them without working at a company or getting a CS degree? In this episode, I’ll break down why the bootcamp model no longer works, what’s replacing it, and how to develop the old school engineering mindset that will set you apart in the AI era — even if you...

Yasemin, a senior front-end developer with a decade of experience, shares insights on career progression in front-end development and how the transition from junior to senior is more about mindset than technical skills. She discusses her journey from being task-focused to product-minded while offering practical advice for developers at all stages. • The junior-to-senior transition • Front-end inte...

Chris, a mentee at Parsity was feeling a bit down and asked me straight up what I think about the future of coding careers. I had to really think about it. With headlines screaming about AI taking our jobs and markets being oversaturated, it's enough to make anyone question their path. But what if the doom and gloom narrative isn't matching reality? In this candid episode, I tackle the q...

A rant on the myth of developer productivity with AI and my experience in vibe coding hell with a team of senior engineers. - Why Vibe Coding is great for prototyping and terrible for real software - Why we still need junior developers - Why you should be wary of loud expert beginners online - What skills you ACTUALLY need as a software engineer in the AI era Send us a text Shameless Plugs 🧑‍💻 F...

You want to learn to code because you want more money. Let's just be honest about it. First off - there are many other ways to make a desirable income without learning a difficult skill like coding. You can do sales. You could be a product manager. Maybe start an illegal gambling den? Have you considered selling large quantities of drugs perhaps? If you do decide to create software for money,...

What’s it really like to go from coding alone to working on a real dev team?  Dean Fox shares his raw experience navigating TypeScript, Git, team dynamics, and scrapped code during his first internship through Parsity's Inner Circle program. 👤 Connect with Dean: Dean Fox on LinkedIn Send us a text Shameless Plugs 🧑‍💻 Free 5 day email course to go from HTML to AI 🤔 Got a question you want...

The developer landscape is shifting. Fast. AI isn’t replacing developers—it’s replacing the kind of developer that only knows how to write boilerplate and follow tutorials. There are some practical skills you're going to want to pick up in the AI era and a few I'm kinda sad to say are becoming less relevant by the day. I mentioned my unit testing project in this episode - it's still...

What separates successful tech career changers from those who struggle? After switching careers into tech at 31 following years of addiction, and mentoring hundreds of aspiring developers, I've noticed some odd patterns and traits of those who make it vs those who don't. This episode is not meant to discourage you. I hope it gives you a practical idea of some skills you can develop and u...

We cover: Why even smart, driven people need help when learning to code What ADHD looks like as a software engineer—and how she manages it How burnout hit hard after landing the job Why public speaking became a surprising superpower Getting hired without ever doing a technical interview Her honest take on AI tools, TypeScript, LinkedIn vs. Twitter, and more If you’re an adult switching careers, ne...

Think you need a CS degree to get hired? That bootcamps are scams? That AI is making developers obsolete?  In this episode, I share some very hot takes on what it really takes to break into tech — and why most of what you’ve been told is dead wrong.  I talk about the rise and fall of bootcamps, the myth of guaranteed outcomes, why advice from FAANG engineers probably doesn’t apply to you, and why...

A listener, Andrew, was kind enough to send me his resume, LinkedIn and GitHub profile for me to roast. Overall - he did a good job BUT there are some issues I would fix that I've seen in many of the hundreds of resumes I've seen over the years as an engineering manager or while helping to hire other developers at companies where I worked. You can watch here: https://youtu.be/k0_6grxbhXc...

Laly Bar-Ilan has been working in AI and natural language processing for over two decades—long before it was trendy. She’s now the Chief Scientist at Bit , where she’s helping build composable, AI-first developer tools that might just replace most of the coding we do today. In this episode, we talk about what staying ahead actually looks like for developers in an AI-driven world. Laly shares what...

 The job market in 2025 feels broken—and you’re not imagining it. AI-generated spam is clogging recruiter inboxes, resumes are becoming less relevant, and LinkedIn is more influencer platform than job board.   In this episode, I break down why things feel so hard right now (for everyone —not just developers), and give you a practical, modern strategy to stand out and actually get hired:  ✅ What t...

No one said it would be easy. If you're having trouble learning JS, you're not alone. I nearly quit coding when I had to learn JS.  I even considered trying to become an email developer (yes, this was a thing). Fast forward 10 years later and I've made a career with JS and even teach it to others. I want you to have a much better experience. We will explore the 3 stages of learning...

Ever feel like learning to code is impossible with your packed schedule? You're not alone.  Ten years ago, I was juggling parenting two kids, working full-time with a brutal Bay Area commute, and driving Lyft on the side just to make ends meet. Finding time seemed impossible—until I discovered three game-changing strategies that transformed my journey. No fluff - just practical stuff you can...

Have you ever sent a message into the void? That's exactly what's been happening to listeners who've tried to contact me through Buzzsprout's messaging system. From a father in Dayton balancing family responsibilities while trying to break into tech, to aspiring developers wondering if JavaScript is still worth learning in 2025, these messages touch on real struggles and practi...

The rise of AI coding tools has fundamentally changed how people learn programming, creating a concerning trend: developers who can produce impressive-looking applications without understanding how they work. What makes a developer truly valuable? Contrary to popular belief, it's not the ability to rapidly generate new code. A revealing LinkedIn survey showed 73% of experienced developers spe...

Thinking about joining a coding bootcamp to land a job in three months?  Let’s get real.  I’ve been coding professionally for over a decade, and while a bootcamp kick-started my career, it didn’t teach me everything I needed to stay hired.  In this episode, I’ll share four critical skills that most bootcamps overlook—but that you’ll absolutely need if you’re serious about making coding your career...

Jeremy spoke with a couple mentees at Parsity which led to a conversation where I learned about his unusual (and long) journey into software. If you're a career changer and you're dealing with impostor syndrome or tutorial hell and need some practical advice on breaking into tech, you're going to get a lot out of this episode. Connect with Jeremy here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jr...

With the rise of AI and Python’s dominance, is JavaScript still worth learning? In this episode, I break down why JavaScript remains the best starting language for new developers, how it sets you up for success in web development, and even why it’s still relevant for AI.  Plus, I introduce a new AI developer course for those looking to leverage AI in real-world projects. Sign up here Send us a tex...

I started off 2025 knowing jack sh*t about LLMs besides how to ask Chat-GPT questions. Since then, I've built a multi-agent app for work, learned some linear algebra to understand how LLMs work at a basic level and started using a new tech stack for working with these LLMS.  In this episode, I lay out the technologies you need to learn to keep up with AI as a full stack JavaScript developer a...