Develop Yourself

Can you believe I never asked Zubin about his interview at Google? I failed the Google interview a couple times (so far) but Zubin crushed it. And he did it without studying hundreds of LeetCode problems, using an approach which no one really talks about. I hope you find this episode useful whether you're trying to nail the big tech interview or get a job at the local startup. Here's the...

Your most powerful skill as a software developer isn't how many languages you know or what technology you've used. You're real power is in how fast you can learn. Tech changes quick. You got to keep up. I break down a method I've used to learn that you might not like. It's effective as hell. Here are the tools I mention in this episode: Loom.com Excalidraw.com Send us a te...

Want to get hired faster? Start thinking like a salesperson. Developers often struggle with the job search—not because they lack skills, but because they don’t know how to sell themselves . Meanwhile, ex-salespeople seem to land jobs faster, even with less experience . What’s their secret? In this episode, Jeremy Smith shares how his background in sales gave him an unfair advantage when breaking i...

A student at Parsity recently bombed a tech interview—and it wasn’t just their fault.  The hiring process in tech is broken, with endless interview rounds, AI filtering out candidates, and companies that don’t even know what they’re looking for.  In this episode, we break down why tech interviews are so flawed, what really happens behind the scenes, and how you can play the game to win. Send us a...

Zuckerberg went on JRE and told the world that AI will replace mid-level engineers soon. Are we talking about the same mid-level engineers here? AI fear mongering gets lots of engagement but how real is this threat? Zubin and I talk about what mid-level engineers do, why NO ONE is safe and what developers still do better than AI. Here are the resources Zubin mentioned in this pod:   https://www.fr...

Learning to code didn’t change my life. Getting sober and exercising did however. 10 years ago I was lost in addiction and headed on a path to jail or death. I think there are some lessons from my failure that may help you on your own journey. Send us a text Shameless Plugs 👉 Build Your First Website in 30 minutes 👈 ✉️ Got a question you want answered on the pod? Drop it here 🧑‍💻 Apply for 1 o...

Alex Lau has nearly 2 decades in software and even wrote a book to help developers avoid the pitfalls that nearly derailed his career. What I like about Alex is that he keeps it real. We answered questions from you in this episode with no BS. - Mass applying vs networking vs building in public - How to negotiate your salary and what hiring managers don't tell you - What to do about that naggi...

Think developers spend all day writing code? Think again. A recent study from Software.com reveals that developers actively code for just 52 minutes per day —about 4 hours and 21 minutes per week .  So what the hell do software developers actually do? In this episode, I break down 2 actual assignments I've been given at both a small startup and a large company to illustrate the reality of wor...

In this episode of the Develop Yourself podcast, we walk you through my 5-step process for solving coding problems. If you’ve ever found yourself staring at a problem, unsure of where to start, this episode is for you . I’ll show you how to break down problems, test your assumptions, and leverage patterns to find solutions that work. I also show you exactly how I use this process to tackle problem...

How cooked are we now that OpenAI is getting closer to AGI (artificial general intelligence)? It feels like AI is inching closer towards making software developers obsolete but how much of this fear is real and how much is complete hype? The answer shouldn't surprise you if you write code for a living... Send us a text Shameless Plugs 👉 Build Your First Website in 30 minutes 👈 ✉️ Got a ques...

In this episode, Vanessa and Wilfredo share their inspiring journeys of breaking into tech as self-taught developers. Learn how they avoided tutorial hell, built standout portfolios, and reinvented themselves online to land their first jobs in software engineering. Packed with practical advice on overcoming imposter syndrome, choosing the right learning path, and navigating the job hunt, this epis...

Before you read "Cracking the Coding Interview" or "Clean Code", I want to offer a f ew books that you should read at every stage of your developer career from not-yet-hired to engineering manager. Me, sponsored? No. I just like sharing what's worked for me in the hopes it can work for you. If you have some good recommendations I didn't mention please let me and the r...

We're going to go through a very hands-on, practical process for learning enough JS to be dangerous. From the tools and services you will need as well as challenges to complete and small projects to make, you will have a clear idea of what to do and build to go from zero to noob. Send us a text Shameless Plugs 👉 Build Your First Website in 30 minutes 👈 ✉️ Got a question you want answered on...

Humans are notoriously bad at predictions, but I’m going to make some anyway.   Based on what I’ve seen this year and what’s happening in the current market, I believe there are a few key things you’re going to need to know to stay ahead in your career.  Some of these predictions I’m making are bets I’m taking myself, and I figured I should share them with you here.  In this episode, I’m diving in...

The coding bootcamp model is need of a serious face-lift. Aggressive marketing has created unrealistic expectations for career changers. Interviews are more difficult and developers are increasingly expected to do more. It feels like things are changing faster and faster. It's not all doom and gloom. Career change has always been difficult. That shouldn't discourage you, you just need a...

I have been working as a software developer for over a decade. These are the 3 simple (but effective) pieces of advice I’d give anyone starting out, including maybe not just starting at all! Send us a text Shameless Plugs 👉 Build Your First Website in 30 minutes 👈 ✉️ Got a question you want answered on the pod? Drop it here 🧑‍💻 Apply for 1 of 12 spots at Parsity - Become a full stack AI develo...

A few students at Parsity.io have interviews coming up. I gave them the same advice I'll share with you in this episode. The weird thing about technical interviews is they might not be so technical at all.  While you're grinding LeetCode or CodeWars or if you're just learning to code - you need to be prepared for the non-technical interview. It's way more common than you think....

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....

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

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 👉 Build Your F...

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...

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 on...

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...

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 👉 Build Your First Website in...

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.co...