Develop Yourself

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 👉 Build Y...

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 👉 Build Your First Website in 30 minutes 👈 ✉️ Got a question you want answered on th...

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...

In this episode of Develop Yourself , I sit down with Gabe Rucker, CEO of Founding Titans , to discuss everything from entrepreneurship and building startups to the practical side of networking and getting money from thin air. We also dive into how Parsity students gained valuable, hands-on experience through an internship with Founding Titans , working alongside a real AI startup team. Topics we...

When I first tried to learn JavaScript, I hated it so much I told myself I’d just be an HTML and CSS developer and never touch it again.  Of course, my first job threw me straight into Angular, C#, SQL, and a mountain of JavaScript I wasn’t ready for. In this episode, I share what made JavaScript so brutal for me (and for almost every student I’ve worked with), the mistakes that keep people stuck,...

When your only tool is a hammer - everything looks like a nail. 2 of these database I'm sure you've heard and 2 might be completely new to you. Let's go past MongoDB and SQL to learn what tool is best for what job and what's the database choice for AI in 2025. If you're interested in learning SQL, check out this episode: https://open.spotify.com/show/69BHCbRAl6rHT9LlNhFWUy...

Every year, Stack Overflow surveys nearly a 100,000 developers to learn what technologies, languages and tools are trending. The answers here might surprise you, especially when it comes to AI tools. You can check out the survey here: https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2025/developers/ Send us a text Shameless Plugs 👉 Build Your First Website in 30 minutes 👈 ✉️ Got a question you want answered on t...

Maybe I'm just coping. Maybe. I’ve been pretty vocal about the over-hype of AI coding tools and I always get the same responses from AI bros: “YoU gOtta PrOmpt bEtteR!” “This iz a skillz issue dawg”“I’m using [x] and it works perfectly” “I’m a super duper senior architect and I’ve replaced my entire team with AI agents. You’re coping.” I’d be lying if I said I didn’t doubt myself. Maybe they’...

If I lost everything today—no job, no network, no portfolio—and had to start over in 2025 as a software developer, I wouldn’t be looking for a 3-month miracle.  I’d be planning for 12 months.  That’s how long it really takes now. We cover: what tech stack you should learn networking as a developer using BFS a capstone project that is actually impressive an interviewing strategy 3 books I'd re...

Five years ago, during an interview for a senior dev role, I had a panic attack. It was one of my worst interview experiences. It also taught me a lot about what I was doing wrong. In this episode, I'll break down the process that took me from under-paid developer to passing interviews and 4x'ing my salary. Here's your worksheet to help you create a solid story for an interview: wor...

Harish, former lead engineer at MongoDB and current co-founder of Flaire, takes us on a journey through his unusual career path—one that didn’t involve grinding LeetCode or chasing FAANG. Instead, he got deep into cybersecurity, built large-scale systems, and eventually started his own company that’s redefining how small businesses use software. We talk about: What it’s actually like to work on da...

Are junior devs cooked? How can I scaffold a solid MERN stack app? What's the best way to stick with a tutorial? We got some great questions this episode and my answers might surprise you. Got a question you want answered? Drop it here: https://form.typeform.com/to/Q499M9kl Send us a text Shameless Plugs 👉 Build Your First Website in 30 minutes 👈 ✉️ Got a question you want answered on the p...

Learning JS is tough. And you're probably making some of the same mistakes I did in the past. In this episode you'll get a path and a small project to make to teach you the minimum effective dose of JavaScript necessary to move forward in your learning journey. Here's the challenge I mentioned which includes some short videos:  Your Form Challenge Send us a text Shameless Plugs 👉 B...