This Week in Startups

E1049: freeCodeCamp Founder Quincy Larson shares insights on democratizing developer skills, which programs to learn to land a coding job, if anyone can learn to code, maximizing earning potential & more!

Apr 24, 2020

Quincy Larson, founder of freeCodeCamp, shares his inspiring journey from teaching to revolutionizing coding education through a non-profit platform. He discusses how anyone can learn to code and the impressive success stories from users. The conversation highlights the importance of practical skills over traditional degrees and newer pathways into tech, such as mobile development. Quincy also addresses the impact of COVID-19 on user growth and the global nature of freeCodeCamp, emphasizing the community's role in fostering collaboration and support for aspiring developers.

58:14

Creator website

Episode guests

Quincy Larson

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Intro

2min

Empowering Entrepreneurship: Skills Over Degrees

5min

The Journey from Teaching to Coding Education Innovation

3min

Navigating Online Learning and Community Challenges

6min

Empowering Coding Through Community and Certification

5min

Fundraising for Coding Education

7min

Coding Accessibility Through Determination

10min

Empowering Code Literacy and Quick Pathways to Employment

5min

Navigating JavaScript and No-Code Tools

9min

10.

Embracing Remote Work and Learning: The Future of Coding Education

2min

11.

Democratizing Coding and Creative Cards

5min

0:50 Jason thanks the front-line workers & intros freeCodeCamp's Quincy Larson
7:45 Why & how did Quincy start freeCodeCamp? What is freeCodeCamp?
12:16 Jason & Quincy discuss starting & running large online communities, benefits of Discord & Slack
15:36 Can you jump right in on freeCodeCamp.org? What types of certifications do they offer?
17:38 COVID-19's impact on user growth & why Quincy is emulating Red Cross, YMCA & other non-profits
21:19 Do they track outcomes at freeCodeCamp, how do they compare to Lambda School?
26:05 Can anyone become a web developer? How many hours would it take for an average high school graduate to be able to build a 1.0 version of Twitter or Shopify?
35:09 Quincy shares some freeCodeCamp success stories
41:21 What's the quickest way to get a job through coding? What program should an aspirational developer start learning first?
45:57 Should new developers prioritize mobile development to maximize earning potential?
48:24 What % of freeCodeCamp users are non-US? Which country has shown the most potential?
50:44 What does the post-COVID world look like for developers?
53:21 freeCodeCamp's developer cards project

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