The freeCodeCamp Podcast

Joel Spolsky, founder of Trello and Stack Overflow, shares insights on software engineering, product design, running companies, and using AI as a tool. Topics covered include circuit design, LED art, automating tasks, Excel team knowledge, decentralized management, Trello usability, troubleshooting electronics, shipping software, choosing VCs, and their upbringing in Albuquerque.

Today I'm joined by Kevin Miller. He's a senior developer and host of the Coder Conversations YouTube channel. Kevin studied accounting in Texas and worked overnight for 7 years at hotels, making only $11 an hour. But his knowledge of spreadsheets lead to him learning more about programming and automation. After spending a year living with his parents and teaching himself to code full time, Kevin landed his first developer job. He immediately tripled his income.  Kevin has since worked as a dev at several Fortune 500 companies. But it's been a bumpy ride. He's been laid off 3 times due to mergers and employers just running out of money. He started Coder Conversations as a way for him and fellow developers to talk about technology and share career advice. He now has 200 episodes. I hope you're digging these weekly freeCodeCamp podcasts. Be sure to leave us a review. And download a few episodes so you can learn on the go. Tell your friends about the freeCodeCamp podcast. Let's inspire more folks to learn to code and build careers for themselves in tech. Coder Conversations: https://www.youtube.com/@coderconvos254 Kevin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevm254    

Guest Quincy Larson, the author of 'How to Learn to Code and Get a Developer Job', discusses various topics including building programming skills, building a network, building a reputation, getting paid to code, and succeeding in a first developer job. The podcast also covers topics such as rubber duck debugging, the importance of computer science degrees, choosing a programming language, building a personal network, participating in hackathons, building a strong reputation, and the developer job interview experience.

Lynn Zheng, a software engineer at freeCodeCamp and Salesforce, discusses her game development projects, including 'Learn to Code RPG'. She also talks about her experience as an engineer at a large tech company and being in work visa limbo. The podcast covers topics such as smart luggage cases, the Rinpy visual novel engine, adjusting to college life as an international student, creating interactive modules and AI language models, and building powerful computers for AI and game development.

Ben Dunphy studied international relations and had a short career in finance. Among other things, he co-authored a bill that eventually got passed in his state of New Hampshire. But Ben saw the writing on the wall – that technology was becoming one of the most powerful ways to affect change. He learned to code and moved to San Francisco, where he and I first met back in 2013. He built Real World React – a series of evening events and corporate training programs – and ultimately helped launched conferences like Reactathon and JAMstack conf. And now he's helping run the upcoming AI Engineer Summit. I talk with Ben about his journey into tech and the lessons he's learned along the way. And if you're considering creating a tech event in your city, boy has Ben got some tips for you. I hope you're digging these weekly freeCodeCamp podcasts. Be sure to leave us a review. And download a few episodes so you can learn on the go. Not only do we have Spanish and Chinese podcasts, but we just launched our Portuguese podcast as well. And tell your friends. Let's inspire more folks to learn to code and build careers for themsleves in tech. Ben on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Benghamine Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamindunphy/ The Rise of the AI Engineer article by Shawn Wang AKA Swyx: https://www.latent.space/p/ai-engineer The AI Engineer Summit Oct 9, 2023 through Oct 11 in San Francisco: https://www.ai.engineer/summit The Isabella Gardner Museum in Boston: https://www.gardnermuseum.org/    

Data scientist Eric Leung shares his journey from math to bioinformatics, discussing the application of math in medicine. They also talk about transitioning from grad school, the different branches of data science, analyzing marketing strategies, remote work at Disney, the value of libraries, exploring the ancient game of Go, the longevity of legacy tools, navigating VIM modes, interacting with databases, and the importance of learning in public and community contribution.

Patrick San Juan, a software engineer who first learned to code in his 30s, shares his journey into tech, the challenges of finding a job as a developer, and the importance of sustained effort in building a career. They also discuss the speaker's background in economics, their love for crate digging and jazz music, and their work-life balance in FinTech. The chapter concludes with recommendations for exploring the Bay Area and indulging in Mexican and Filipino fusion cuisine.

Malindi Colyer, Python developer and AI engineer, discusses automating tasks in investment banking, her experiences working in finance including venture capital, and her transition to founding a company. They also explore the practical applications of using chat GPT, automating document search and summarization, and optimizing bond trading and settlement. The podcast covers the challenges and mistakes in investment banking, the stages of funding for startups, and the importance of AI infrastructure and building projects.

Dr. Amit Deshwar, a scientist specializing in machine learning, discusses using machine learning to speed up drug discovery and fight diseases like cancer. They explore Amit's career path, his research on pan cancer analysis and RNA therapeutics, and the process of drug development using machine learning. They also touch on the advantages of being located in San Francisco for machine learning and share unique experiences and interests in the city.

Programmer legend Jeff Atwood, co-founder of Stack Overflow and Discourse, talks about software development, community building, large language models, VR, and self-driving cars. They also discuss the importance of toxicity management in online communities, the significance of the freeCodeCamp community, the early days of programming and personal computers, ergonomics for programmers, public learning, discourse servers, AI without consent, and addressing toxic individuals in a community. They touch on the transition from remote work to office work and effective communication methods.