Develop Yourself

These principles don't just create pretty code—they reduce bugs, simplify updates, and prevent real-world problems like the $10,000 mistake I made early in my career.

Yeah, that was not a fun one.

Check out https://www.dofactory.com/javascript/design-patterns/adapter if you want to learn more patterns.

PS - I write unfiltered advice for early career developers here: 👉 Real Talk JS

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In this Office Hours Q&A, I got some pretty interesting questions:

• Should you lie on your resume to trick the ATS and get more interviews?
• If you’re building websites with tools like Squarespace, does it count as real experience—or are you cheating yourself?
• Is a master’s degree in computer science worth it if you already have some tech skills?

I also share thoughts on how to get experience that actually helps you land a dev job and why every learner should have a side project that they control.

Whether you’re self-taught, in school, or just figuring things out, this one’s packed with advice you won’t hear in most coding bootcamp brochures.

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The software development market didn't die, it's just unrecognizable.

Let's go over 8 harsh pieces of advice that will help you as a career changer to make a successful switch into a career as a software developer.

PS. If you're a front-end developer looking to expand your skills, grab the Node Express Starter Kit here.

Have a question for the Friday Q&A show? Submit it through the form in the show notes, and I'll shout you out or keep you anonymous.

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AI Bootcamp - for software developers who want to be the expert on their team when it comes to AI

Whatever you do, don’t learn to code.

The market is over-saturated.
AI took your job.
There is no hope.

But then you meet someone like Jacob, a young dad who was delivering food a year ago and just landed his first dev job without submitting a single application.

Is his story typical? No. But then few stories are.

At Parsity.io, we've seen CS grads take up to a year to get hired. We've seen people go from zero to hired in 6 months or less.

There is no formula. 

What works for one person might work for you and it might not.

Not a great marketing tactic eh? It's just the truth.

Jacob shares how he landed a role with ZERO applications and juggling a tight schedule as a new father while learning to build complex software. 

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AI Bootcamp - for software developers who want to be the expert on their team when it comes to AI

Got a question you want answered on the show?

Drop it here: Ask Your Question

On today's show:

"I’m currently a mid-level product manager thinking of switching to software engineering. Is that too ambitious?"

“Where do I get good at interview practice? Leetcode seems unrealistic. Is there something more practical?”

“Should I go all in on C# or .NET instead? Or maybe get a CS degree from WGU?”

“As an early career dev, should I be building side projects with AI tools like Cursor—or is that risky before I know how to code well?”

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🤔 Got a question you want answered on the pod? Drop it here

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AI Bootcamp - for software developers who want to be the expert on their team when it comes to AI

Learning data structures and algorithms (DSA) isn't JUST a smart interview skill, it will boost your confidence as a software engineer, give you a deeper understanding of computer science fundamentals and they can even be fun once you know how to use them.

If you're self teaching or just starting out with code, they can be intimidating.
They don't have to be.

I break down a pretty comprehensive guide here for learning DSA as well as a video on Binary Search Trees (BST)


DSA Study Guide  My popular guide to DSA
Video on Binary Search Trees (Source Code included in the comments)

PS. Zubin and I are building stuff for Parsity. What should we build next? Take 15 seconds and tell us here: Quick Survey

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🤔 Got a question you want answered on the pod? Drop it here

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AI Bootcamp - for software developers who want to be the expert on their team when it comes to AI

Check out this beginner project to use AI with HTML and JS 👇

Grab the project here

I'm no AI hater but I am getting so tired of the dialogue online I read from people who claim that AI is making developers 2, 3 or 10x more productive.

Google's CEO recently came out with a sobering statistic:

AI has made their engineers 10% more productive. (source)

10%.

This is still massive but no where near the gains we were promised or what our managers are expecting.

Let's explore this myth of productivity and what you, as a developer, can and cannot do with AI.

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AI Bootcamp - for software developers who want to be the expert on their team when it comes to AI

Have you ever felt like the weakest link on your development team? You're not alone.

The moment you land your first developer job, you're likely to face the crushing weight of comparison. Your teammates seem to know everything while your mind fills with doubts about your abilities. Seven years ago, this pressure nearly drove me out of the industry despite earning more money than ever before. 

The stress was paralyzing - I faced panic attacks each morning and received direct feedback about my inadequate skills.

I developed a powerful three-step system that transformed my approach to professional growth that I want to share with you.

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AI Bootcamp - for software developers who want to be the expert on their team when it comes to AI

What do engineering leaders really think about bootcamp grads?

Why are so many developers so stressed?

Is it even worth learning to code in 2025?

Michael Greenspan pulls back the curtain on the realities of engineering leadership, interviewing and the state of the industry, drawing from his extensive experience as both a software engineer and engineering manager before becoming a coach for burnt-out tech professionals.

"Moving into management is a job change," Michael emphasizes, describing how this transition often comes with minimal guidance and significant imposter syndrome. Both Michael and host Brian share their personal experiences of feeling lost when first stepping into leadership positions.

Find Michael at TheCompleteEngineer.com or connect with him on LinkedIn.

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AI Bootcamp - for software developers who want to be the expert on their team when it comes to AI

I spent a few years as an engineering manager, and my buddy Zubin, a former Google engineer, is currently hiring developers at his company. Between the two of us, we’ve seen the good, the bad, and the totally avoidable when it comes to technical interviews.

In this episode, we pull back the curtain on what really happens during interviews. What are hiring managers actually looking for? What are the most common mistakes that cost people the job? And how can you stand out even if you’re early in your journey?

Interviews are high stakes, high pressure, and if done right, high reward. We cover:

• Why trust matters more than being perfect
• How AI has changed the interview process
• What to do when you don’t know the answer
• How likability can make or break your chances
• The worst way to prep, and what to do instead

As always - hope it's helpful!

Send us a text

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🧑‍💻 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 with AI integrations.

AI Bootcamp - for software developers who want to be the expert on their team when it comes to AI