#147 From Stealing Cars to Self-Taught Software Engineer with Dorian Develops

Oct 25, 2024

Dorian Develops, a software engineer and YouTube creator, shares his inspiring journey from a rough upbringing in Miami to a successful tech career. He discusses how he taught himself to code using free resources and networking, highlighting the impact of remote work on his family's nomadic lifestyle. Dorian opens up about his recovery from addiction, illustrating the challenges and transformations he's faced. He emphasizes the role of community and practical experiences in his learning path, making his story a powerful testament to resilience and determination.

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Intro

00:00 • 2min

Transformative Journey from Troubled Past to Tech Success

01:37 • 2min

From Turmoil to Travel: A Journey of Growth

03:09 • 24min

Career Journeys in Hospitality and Tech

26:44 • 9min

The Duality of Vegas: Creativity and Compromise

35:59 • 13min

From Networking to Coding: A Personal Journey

49:11 • 7min

The Passion for Certifications: Tech and Electrician Experiences

55:51 • 3min

Navigating Online Exam Proctoring and Integrity in Remote Learning

58:23 • 2min

From Stripper to Programmer: A Journey of Self-Discovery

01:00:27 • 15min

Overcoming Challenges in Tech

01:15:07 • 31min

Navigating the YouTube Creator Landscape

01:46:27 • 18min

Navigating Addiction and Sobriety

02:04:23 • 29min

Navigating Career Changes Together

02:33:49 • 19min

On this week's episode of the podcast, freeCodeCamp founder Quincy Larson interviews Dorian Develops. He's a software engineer and prolific YouTube creator.

Dorian grew up in the Little Havana neighborhood of Miami. He's the child of a single mother that arrived as a refugee from Cuba. After a rough childhood and dropping out of high school in 9th grade, Dorian eventually made a living as a valet car parker in Las Vegas. It was here that he realized he needed to make changes for the sake of his family's future.

Dorian taught himself to code using freeCodeCamp and other free learning resources, and has since gotten several 6-figure jobs as a web developer.

We talk about:

- How Dorian survived his 20s by waiting tables and parking cars in Las Vegas

- How he taught himself to code using free learning resources and built his network through months of attending local developer meetups

- How he's worked as a remote developer so he and his kids can travel the world

- And how he's 1 year into his recovery from a lifetime of drug and alcohol addiction

Can you guess what song I'm playing in the intro?

Also, I want to thank the 10,993 kind people who support our charity each month, and who make this podcast possible. You can join them and support our mission at: https://www.freecodecamp.org/donate

Links we talk about during our conversation:

- Vagabonding book by Rolf Potts: https://rolfpotts.com/books/vagabonding/

- A documentary on "Advantaged Play" in Blackjack that Quincy mentions. [Note: I don't gamble and I don't condone gambling. Still, this is still an excellent video that developers interested in information security should consider watching]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nO6aPOkCt84

- A recent HTML tutorial by Dorian: https://youtu.be/sWYdumJckMw?si=nB8j5d9WQR5u5_Mb

- Dorian's video about his journey to sobriety: https://youtu.be/pGoeG5aY3S0?si=aanGEowSfWd-runm

- Dorian's video about his love of Brazillian Jujitsu but how it's left him with permanent injuries: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAHPG66H000