The freeCodeCamp Podcast #178 From freeCodeCamp to NASA with Data Engineer Joe Hill
Jul 4, 2025
Joe Hill, a self-taught software engineer at NASA, shares his inspiring journey from janitor to data engineer. He discusses the challenges of managing Department of Defense data and emphasizes the value of soft skills in large organizations. Joe dives into the importance of patience in self-education and offers tips for parents of autistic children, including his own experiences developing an iPad app for his sons. He also talks about the significance of focusing deeply on tools rather than jumping between them.
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App for Autistic Son's Communication
- Joe Hill created an iPad app to help his nonverbal autistic son communicate better.
- Although the app had limited sales, it deeply impacted his family and started his coding journey.
From Janitor to Programmer
- Joe started as a janitor and used real job problems to self-teach programming systematically.
- He automated tedious tasks, which sparked his interest and practical understanding of coding.
Communicate to Gain Buy-In
- Explain technical work clearly to non-technical stakeholders to build trust and cooperation.
- Anticipate their needs and translate their concerns into practical software solutions.