Rethinking the Value of Free Education in Tech

Where should you invest YOUR time in tech? Are you trying to break into tech, learn to code, or just stay ahead in a rapidly evolving AI landscape? Key Topics Covered: Why consistent, daily coding practice beats “cramming” How to effectively network and stand out at meetups and hackathons The importance of learning fundamentals like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Python, Linux, SQL, and Git Whether (and when) to dive into AI, LLMs, and machine learning Why “free” doesn’t mean “low quality” and how freeCodeCamp remains a top resource for millions How to pace your job search timeline—and why 6 months might be too short The future of AI, job prospects, and how to keep your skills relevant Enjoy the discussion, and don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more insights into coding, careers, and the tech industry! In this episode of The Programming Podcast, Danny Thompson and Leon Noel sit down with Quincy Larson, founder of freeCodeCamp.org. This is the first guest episode we have ever had! We discuss the realities of learning to code, the importance of fundamentals, how to navigate AI hype, the true value of “free” educational resources, and much more. 📧 Have ideas or questions for the show? Or are you a business that wants to talk business? Email us at dannyandleonpodcast@gmail.com! Danny Thompson https://x.com/DThompsonDev https://www.linkedin.com/in/DThompsonDev www.DThompsonDev.com Leon Noel https://x.com/leonnoel https://www.linkedin.com/in/leonnoel/ https://100devs.org/ 00:00 – Introduction 02:06 – The Power of Consistent Daily Practice 05:21 – Auditing Your Local Job Market 08:03 – Fundamental Skills vs. Frameworks 11:05 – The Evolving Complexity of React & Next.js 13:29 – How Quincy Got His First Dev Job 17:02 – Networking & Meetups: A Game Changer 19:07 – Today’s Job Market & ‘Impossible’ Myths 24:27 – College, Costs & Alternative Pathways 27:24 – “I Need a Dev Job in 6 Months!” 31:06 – Reframing Disappointment & Burnout 35:50 – Why ‘Free’ Doesn’t Mean ‘Low Quality’ 40:08 – Ask Quincy: AI & Building Your Own LLM 44:20 – The Future of AI & Open-Weight Models 48:30 – AI in Search, Ads & Monetization 51:30 – The Bottom Line on AI & Dev Careers 53:00 – Conclusion & Final Shout-Outs 📧 Have ideas or questions for the show? Or are you a business that wants to talk business? Email us at dannyandleonpodcast@gmail.com!