#199 Tips from a serial career changer with GitHub's Andrea Griffiths

Nov 28, 2025

Andrea Griffiths, a self-taught programmer and Developer Advocate at GitHub, shares her transformative journey from construction to tech. She discusses the importance of critical thinking in an AI-driven world and offers practical tips for busy parents wanting to learn new skills. Andrea emphasizes breaking problems into chunks and the value of foundational knowledge. She also reflects on her experiences in the U.S. Army and running gyms, advising listeners to embrace humility and curiosity in their career paths.

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INSIGHT

Learn How To Learn Beats Shortcut Tools

FreeCodeCamp taught Andrea how to learn by chunking time and breaking problems into fundamentals.
She warns modern learners risk losing deep understanding by over-relying on AI like Copilot.

ADVICE

Chunk Time And Prioritize Fundamentals

Break study sessions into small, scheduled chunks and use spaced, focused practice.
Prioritize fundamentals and slow, deliberate study over all-night grinding.

ANECDOTE

Joining The Army At Seventeen

Andrea joined the U.S. Army at 17 to access education and structure after emigrating from Colombia.
Military service taught her English, discipline, and a servant leadership mindset she still applies.

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Today Quincy Larson interviews Andrea Griffiths, who taught herself programming using freeCodeCamp while working in construction. She moved to the US from Colombia when she was 17, and within 6 months she joined the US Army. She ran a chain of gyms before landing a support role at a tech company, then ascending to Product Manager and ultimately Developer Advocate at GitHub.

Support for this podcast is provided by a grant from AlgoMonster. AlgoMonster is a platform that teaches data structure and algorithm patterns in a structured sequence, so you can approach technical interview questions more systematically. Their curriculum covers patterns like sliding window, two-pointers, graph search, and dynamic programming, helping you learn each pattern once and apply it to solve many problems. Start a structured interview prep routine at https://algo.monster/freecodecamp

Support also comes from the 10,338 kind folks who donate to our charity each month. Join them and support our mission at https://donate.freecodecamp.org

Get a freeCodeCamp t-shirt for $20 with free shipping anywhere in the US: https://shop.freecodecamp.org

We talk about: - Tips for busy parents who want to learn new skills. - How AI tools are no substitute for your own critical thinking - and problem solving skills. - How even though it's getting easier every day to learn programming for free, people are so distracted, and for many it feels harder and harder to sit down and do it.

Links from our discussion: - Article about AI and product management (which includes some blunt takes from Quincy): https://thenewstack.io/for-devs-a-fix-for-ai-complexity-is-hiding-in-plain-sight/ - Andrea's weekly newsletter: https://mainbranch.beehiiv.com/ - Learn How to Learn course by Dr. Barbara Oakley: https://www.classcentral.com/course/learning-how-to-learn-2161

Community news section:

1. freeCodeCamp just published this beginner-friendly back-end development course. You'll learn how to build your own web servers and APIs using Node.js, Express, and MongoDB. freeCodeCamp's website and mobile apps are built using these tools, which make up the popular MERN stack. You'll also get some exposure to database architecture, security principles, testing best practices, and more. (2 hour YouTube course): https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/intro-to-backend-web-development-nodejs-express-mongodb/

2. freeCodeCamp also published a comprehensive Blender and Three.js course where you'll build your own 3D portfolio piece: a render of an adorable home office. If you're interested in 3D rendering and computer graphics, this is the course for you. You'll learn key concepts like Quad Topology, Raycasting, OrbitControls, and more. By the end of the course, your 3D model will be live on the web so you can share it with your friends. (9 hour YouTube course): https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/create-a-cute-room-portfolio-with-threejs-blender-javascript/

3. freeCodeCamp also published a handbook on using Docker with Node.js. You'll learn how to set up Docker and Docker Compose. You'll also learn fundamental concepts like Volumes, Images, and Containers. This is an excellent resource for you to read through and code along with. Bookmark it for future reference. (full length handbook): https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/how-to-use-to-docker-with-nodejs-handbook/

4. Level up your JavaScript implementation skills with this new freeCodeCamp course on Clean Code. You'll learn how to detect "code smells" and refactor your JavaScript accordingly. You'll also learn how to use ESLint and Prettier to automate some of the more error-prone aspects of shipping code. (1 hour watch): https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/level-up-your-javascript-detect-smells-and-write-clean-code/

5. Classic text adventure games Zork I, II, and III are now open source with an MIT license. Microsoft has published their full source code on GitHub: https://github.com/historicalsource/zork1

6. Today's song of the week is 1985 classic "Something About You" by Level 42. I love the slap bass, the vocal harmony, the falsetto, and the huge synth sounds. It's impossible to listen to this song and still be in a bad mood: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpdQQoc-gkk