In this chat, Jason Lengstorf, a former band website builder turned software architect, shares his unique journey from dropping out of college to working at IBM and co-founding CodeTV, a reality show for developers. He discusses the power of self-teaching through curiosity and how in-person events shape engineers. Jason highlights the importance of tacit knowledge, community, and the blend of technical and leadership skills in advancing one’s career, revealing a holistic approach to learning in the tech world.

Ryan Furrer, a self-taught front-end engineer, shares his fascinating journey from being a broke musician to succeeding in tech. He discusses the challenges of teaching himself to code while balancing life and work, including a difficult divorce that led him to move back home. Furrer highlights the importance of creative design in coding and the emotional toll of navigating a non-traditional education. His story emphasizes community support, the joy of learning, and the impact of resilience in career transitions.

Francesco Ciulla, a software engineer who helped code for the Copernicus satellite program at the European Space Agency, shares his inspiring journey from volleyball coaching to tech. He dives into the significance of Rust programming, addressing its safety features and his experience creating tutorials. Francesco discusses overcoming introversion while sharing knowledge through talks and social media. He reflects on the challenges of starting small and building community in tech, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and continuous learning.

Jesse Hall, a software engineer and developer advocate at MongoDB, shares his inspiring journey from fixing computers at Geek Squad to creating popular YouTube tutorials. He discusses the challenges of balancing coding with family life, the importance of self-education, and navigating the rapidly changing tech landscape. Jesse also reflects on his early interest in Web3 and the unexpected pitfalls of becoming an 'NFT tutorial guy.' Tune in for engaging insights on mentoring self-taught developers and the ethical responsibilities in tech education.

Caleb Curry, a software engineer and dynamic computer science educator, shares insights from his journey through job loss and career rebirth. He emphasizes the value of deep expertise over a broad skill set, advocating for mastering foundational programming concepts. Caleb dives into the essentials of networking and how building genuine relationships can propel career growth. He also discusses balancing productivity with relentless learning in remote environments, and how to strategically acquire skills while avoiding burnout. His passion for teaching system design shines throughout the conversation.

Anjana Vakil, a developer advocate with a background in computational linguistics and English teaching, shares her inspiring journey of transitioning to software development in her 30s. She discusses how to teach yourself coding, the impact of prior career skills on development roles, and the importance of community in tech. Anjana also confronts the challenges of freelancing, strategies to avoid burnout, and the value of meaningful networking, emphasizing that diverse experiences enrich the developer landscape.

Vaughn Gene, a self-taught software engineer and polyglot with a passion for learning, shares his journey from struggling in high school to thriving in Japan. He explores effective self-learning strategies, the importance of practical skill application, and his experiences with cultural immersion in Japan. Vaughn discusses the balance between productivity and passion, along with the significance of consistency in mastering new skills, all while debunking myths about language immersion and offering insights into affordable skill development.

Julia Undeutsch, a self-taught software engineer and accessibility specialist at Atos, shares her transformative journey from poker dealer to coder. She highlights the importance of making software accessible for individuals with disabilities and discusses her experience creating tutorials in Japanese. Julia emphasizes the necessity of integrating accessibility in software design and shares insights on the challenges of learning to code remotely during the pandemic. Her passion for inclusivity extends to gaming, advocating for improved accessibility as demographics shift.

Peggy Wang, Co-founder and CTO of Ego AI, is a robotics engineer with experience at Lyft and Oculus. She shares her journey from a first-generation American in Milwaukee to Stanford, emphasizing how freeCodeCamp aided her coding skills. The conversation explores the future of humanoid robots and AI in gaming, the ethical implications of emotional connections with AI, and groundbreaking advancements in self-driving technology. Peggy also reflects on the transformative potential of robotics in everyday life and the emerging relationship between humans and AI.

Rishab Kumar, a self-taught cloud engineer and developer advocate at Twilio, shares his inspiring journey from working at a gas station in Canada to landing a job at Google. He discusses the challenges faced while pursuing cloud engineering, including overcoming numerous job rejections and earning various certifications. Rishab emphasizes the importance of mentorship, the role of DevOps in the tech landscape, and the evolving nature of cloud solutions. His story is a testament to resilience and the impact of non-traditional learning paths.