Develop Yourself

Brian Jenney
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Dec 15, 2025 • 16min

5 Takeaways from Working at an AI Startup

We’re in a strange moment right now.The AI bubble is showing signs of popping and the tech industry is waking up from a long night of partying.We were told to “do more with less” and “just use AI” for the past 12 months.After spending a year building production systems this way, I can tell you there’s a growing gap between what people think AI can do and what it actually does.To say I’m annoyed with the media and talking heads online is an understatement.It is really starting to boil my potato.Here are my takeaways after grinding on a 5 person team to build a product using AI.🚨If you're interested in learning how to REALLY work with AI as a software developer - apply for our new program for working developers who want to learn AI: parsity.io/AIDevSend us a textShameless Plugs Free 5 day email course to go from HTML to AI Got a question you want answered on the pod? Drop it here Apply for 1 of 12 spots at Parsity - Learn to build complex software, work with LLMs and launch your career. AI Bootcamp (NEW) - for software developers who want to be the expert on their team when it comes to integrating AI into web applications.
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Dec 11, 2025 • 44min

Inside the Email Infrastructure of High-Growth Companies

In this episode of the Develop Yourself Podcast, I talk with three email and growth experts about something most developers overlook: email as a serious  money maker.I’m joined by:Mike, founder of Seventh Sense, an AI-powered email timing platformBoris, Senior Digital Marketing Manager at Educative, one of the largest developer learning platformsDoug, CEO of Optimize 3.0, a HubSpot Diamond Partner agencyWe dig into:How AI is reshaping email marketingWhy email is still the most reliable channel you can ownThe biggest email marketing mistakes that founders and developers makeWhat it actually takes to build a product that sells—not just one that worksAnd real advice for developers who want to turn skills into a business🎙 Guest LinkedIn ProfilesMike Donnelly — Founder, Seventh Sensehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/mikedonnelly1/Boris Robles-Slyusar — Senior Digital Marketing Manager, Educativehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/borisslyusar/Doug Kirk — CEO, Optimize 3.0https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglastkirk/🏢 Company PagesSeventh Sense (AI-powered email timing platform)https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-seventh-sense/https://www.seventhsense.ai/Educative (developer learning platform)https://www.linkedin.com/company/educative-inc/https://www.educative.io/Optimize 3.0 (HubSpot Diamond Partner agency)https://www.linkedin.com/company/optimize-3-0/https://optimize3-0.com/Send us a textShameless Plugs Free 5 day email course to go from HTML to AI Got a question you want answered on the pod? Drop it here Apply for 1 of 12 spots at Parsity - Learn to build complex software, work with LLMs and launch your career. AI Bootcamp (NEW) - for software developers who want to be the expert on their team when it comes to integrating AI into web applications.
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Dec 8, 2025 • 20min

The ONLY Project You Need to Build to Become a Software Developer in 2026

Discover the roadmap to becoming a software developer by 2026 with a single, evolving project. Start by creating a responsive static site, then add interactivity with JavaScript. Progress to modern frameworks like React and Next.js while integrating databases and authentication. Deploy your backend on AWS and enhance your app with AI features. Brian emphasizes the importance of learning through projects rather than obsessing over tech stacks, all within a focused six to twelve-month timeline.
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Dec 1, 2025 • 27min

#291 - Open Source + Hard Work: A CTO’s Roadmap for Junior Developers

Amber Adamson, a former English teacher turned CTO and software developer, shares invaluable insights for junior developers. She emphasizes that true hireability stems from real experience rather than mere coding skills. Contributing to medium-complexity open-source projects is her recommended fast track to job readiness. Amber critiques the misleading nature of toxic positivity on platforms like LinkedIn and stresses the importance of actionable proof-of-work. Finally, she urges budding developers to focus on fundamentals and seek honest feedback to stand out in a competitive job market.
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Nov 24, 2025 • 13min

#290 - 4 things no one tells you about learning to code after 30

Am I too old to learn how to code?If you're alive then the answer is NO.BUT, you are going to need a different game plan than your 22 year old co-workers if you want this to work.I was 31 when I got my first job as a coder. Here's what worked for me and others I've taught over the years.Send us a textShameless Plugs Free 5 day email course to go from HTML to AI Got a question you want answered on the pod? Drop it here Apply for 1 of 12 spots at Parsity - Learn to build complex software, work with LLMs and launch your career. AI Bootcamp (NEW) - for software developers who want to be the expert on their team when it comes to integrating AI into web applications.
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Nov 20, 2025 • 12min

#289 - This Year Nearly Broke Me - Here’s What I’m Changing...

There are some major changes coming to Parsity and this podcast. As a listener, I appreciate you sincerely for listening and I want to extend the largest discount we've ever done for our 30 day Javascript program. It's usually $49 but I'm reducing it to $10.Complete the 30 days and you got yourself a $1400 discount to Parsity's software engineering program.👉 Join Dev30 👈I want to hear from you! What are the guests and topics you want in 2026?Send us a textShameless Plugs Free 5 day email course to go from HTML to AI Got a question you want answered on the pod? Drop it here Apply for 1 of 12 spots at Parsity - Learn to build complex software, work with LLMs and launch your career. AI Bootcamp (NEW) - for software developers who want to be the expert on their team when it comes to integrating AI into web applications.
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Nov 17, 2025 • 19min

#288 - AI Hype is Ruining Software (A Rant)

"We don't really need developers any more""In 2 years, the tools will be so good, that no one will be writing code""Learn a trade bro"I've heard all of these phrases in the last week and it's honestly getting to me. Too often, the people with the loudest microphones have the least experience with the tools we're using.Besides being a talking head on a podcast, I'm also a father and full time software developer. I made this episode not only to vent about why AI hype is so dangerous but why the future isn't as bleak as the mainstream media is leading us to believe.Send us a textShameless Plugs Free 5 day email course to go from HTML to AI Got a question you want answered on the pod? Drop it here Apply for 1 of 12 spots at Parsity - Learn to build complex software, work with LLMs and launch your career. AI Bootcamp (NEW) - for software developers who want to be the expert on their team when it comes to integrating AI into web applications.
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Nov 13, 2025 • 19min

#287 - From Smoothie King to AI Engineer

Ryan is a current student at Parsity who build an app for his employer, Smoothie King, to suggest drinks in a chat interface using a powerful and lesser-known AI technology: RAG.RAG stands for retrieval augmented generation. Basically, providing information (like smoothie recipes) to an AI model so it can return a highly specific response.Ryan breaks down how he finds the time to build side projects like this and how he built this app.Want to build your own AI-powered app? Check out this project: parsity.io/ai-with-ragConnect with Ryan here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhardin378/Send us a textShameless Plugs Free 5 day email course to go from HTML to AI Got a question you want answered on the pod? Drop it here Apply for 1 of 12 spots at Parsity - Learn to build complex software, work with LLMs and launch your career. AI Bootcamp (NEW) - for software developers who want to be the expert on their team when it comes to integrating AI into web applications.
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Nov 10, 2025 • 13min

#286 - How to Know When You're Ready for ReactJS

You’ll learn the six core JS skills to master before frameworks, why TC39 keeps changing the language, and how to test your skills with a challenge you can access below.👉 Try out the JS Form Challenge. 👈We also cover:Why hiring trends still test JavaScript, even when jobs say ReactHow to think like a developer: requests, responses, and UI updatesThe fastest way to level up without AI shortcutsA way to test your JS skillsSend us a textShameless Plugs Free 5 day email course to go from HTML to AI Got a question you want answered on the pod? Drop it here Apply for 1 of 12 spots at Parsity - Learn to build complex software, work with LLMs and launch your career. AI Bootcamp (NEW) - for software developers who want to be the expert on their team when it comes to integrating AI into web applications.
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Nov 6, 2025 • 29min

#284 - The Junior Developer Interview Guide (From Recruiter Screen to React)

Let's be honest - interviews suck.But you can't suck at them.In this episode I break down what your next interview as a junior developer will LIKELY include.Your mileage will vary.Grab the interview guide below which includes a playback of a live event that Parsity recently hosted and a ton of resources: https://brianjenney.substack.com/p/the-junior-dev-interview-guideSend us a textShameless Plugs Free 5 day email course to go from HTML to AI Got a question you want answered on the pod? Drop it here Apply for 1 of 12 spots at Parsity - Learn to build complex software, work with LLMs and launch your career. AI Bootcamp (NEW) - for software developers who want to be the expert on their team when it comes to integrating AI into web applications.

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