John Washam, the mastermind behind Coding Interview University, shares his fascinating journey from delivering pizzas to landing a software engineer role at Amazon. He discusses how he self-taught computer science in just eight months and reflects on his diverse career path, including service in the military. John highlights the importance of fundamentals in programming and the power of open-source resources for aspiring developers. His insights are invaluable for anyone looking to navigate the tech industry, especially later in life.