Amber argues that the biggest problem facing new developers isn’t coding ability…

It’s lack of real experience, and an over-reliance on feel-good advice that doesn’t translate into hireability.

We dig into:

• Why contributing to real, medium-complexity open-source projects is the fastest path to becoming job-ready
• Why most juniors aren’t actually hireable yet — and how to fix that
• How toxic positivity on LinkedIn is misleading beginners
• Why “passion” means nothing if it isn’t backed by proof-of-work
• The kinds of projects and habits that actually impress hiring managers
• The mindset shift every junior dev must make to survive today’s market
• What Amber wishes she knew as a brand-new developer
• How to stand out when 30,000 other bootcamp grads are competing for the same jobs

If you’re early in your software career — or mentoring someone who is — this conversation will challenge your assumptions, push you out of the fluff zone, and give you a clear, actionable roadmap to becoming the type of junior developer who actually gets hired.

Open Source Projects & Communities:

• Dance-Chives Prototype (Amber’s breakdancing app project): https://github.com/BenTheChi/dance-chives-prototype
• Build In Public community: https://buildinpublic.com/
• Gridiron Survivor project: https://github.com/LetsGetTechnical/gridiron-survivor

Mentorship:

• ADPList (free mentorship sessions): https://adplist.org/

Connect With Amber:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amber-adamson-a33a3860/

Send us a text

Shameless 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 with AI integrations.

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

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 text

Shameless 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 with AI integrations.

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

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 text

Shameless 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 with AI integrations.

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

"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 text

Shameless 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 with AI integrations.

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

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-rag

Connect with Ryan here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhardin378/

Send us a text

Shameless 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 with AI integrations.

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

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 React
• How to think like a developer: requests, responses, and UI updates
• The fastest way to level up without AI shortcuts
• A way to test your JS skills

Send us a text

Shameless 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 with AI integrations.

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

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-guide

Send us a text

Shameless 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 with AI integrations.

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

Thinking about learning to code with ChatGPT, Cursor, or Copilot?

Hit pause for ten minutes.

In this episode, I break down why AI isn’t replacing developers but it is making it harder to learn. 

You’ll learn the right time to start using AI as a beginner, how to avoid outsourcing the struggle that builds real skill, and the “teach-back” method that can boost your learning retention by up to 90%.

Referenced study: https://budgetlab.yale.edu/research/evaluating-impact-ai-labor-market-current-state-affairs

Send us a text

Shameless 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 with AI integrations.

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

Original article: https://medium.com/@wlockett/you-have-no-idea-how-screwed-openai-actually-is-8358dccfca1c

Your AI engineer starter project: https://parsity.io/ai-with-rag

Send us a text

Shameless 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 with AI integrations.

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

Grab the templates for posting to LinkedIn here: https://www.parsity.io/learning-in-public

I’ve grown from 0 to nearly 40K followers on LinkedIn with barely any viral posts, and along the way I learned how the platform really works. 

In this episode, I’m breaking down the exact strategy junior developers are using right now to get recruiters to notice them and get hired faster.

So if you’ve hit “Easy Apply” until your fingers hurt and still don't have any interviews, this is for you! 

I’ll show you the simple LinkedIn system that can get you hired without begging strangers for referrals or posting daily “grindset” nonsense.

Send us a text

Shameless 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 with AI integrations.

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