Develop Yourself

Grab your free interview prep crash course here: https://parsity.io/interview-prep

Whiteboard interviews aren’t broken — most candidates just prepare for them the wrong way. This episode shows why copying Big Tech interview prep is a trap and walks through three algorithm patterns that consistently appear in everyday software interviews. It’s a no-nonsense roadmap for learning just enough DSA to pass interviews without wasting years on theory.

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🤔 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 are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act but a habit."

Habits beat motivation; small, daily actions reshape identity and make success inevitable without relying on willpower.

The problem is that most people create goals with no system in place. They rely on raw, fragile willpower and motivation and then wonder why they fail.

Let's explore how to make habits that actually stick to give you the best possible chance of success in the new year.

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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

Grab this project to learn the basics of RAG and working with agents https://www.parsity.io/ai-with-rag

2025 was one of the most confusing years to be a software developer.

We were told AI would replace us.

Then we were told it would make us 10× more productive.

Neither actually happened — but the hype affected careers, hiring, education, and mental health in real ways.

In this episode, I break down the 5 worst tech trends of 2025, based on what I saw firsthand as a working engineer and bootcamp owner — layoffs that never stopped, juniors getting squeezed out, AI being used as a crutch, the collapse of coding bootcamps, and the biggest lie in tech: the AI productivity myth.

Then we flip the script.

I also cover the best trends that quietly emerged and how I’m personally planning to take advantage of them going into 2026 — from AI agents and coding tools that actually help, to why generalist engineers and system-level thinking are winning again.

If you’re:

• A junior developer trying to break in
• A senior wondering how AI really affects your career
• Or just tired of LinkedIn hype and doom headlines

No magic prompts. No fake roadmaps. Just reality — and a practical way forward.

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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

I want to offer you some politically incorrect career advice that the gurus on LinkedIn won't share with you.

From job hopping to the #1 skill you need as a developer: I cover the things that helped me go from struggling bootcamp grad to engineering manager.

Resources mentioned in the pod:

My article outlining my salary jumps through interviewing: https://brianjenney.medium.com/i-used-to-suck-at-coding-interviews-then-i-quadrupled-my-salary-9d5260389a09

Here's your templates for writing on LinkedIn: https://www.parsity.io/learning-in-public

Merry Christmas!!!

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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’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/AIDev

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

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 platform
• Boris, Senior Digital Marketing Manager at Educative, one of the largest developer learning platforms
• Doug, CEO of Optimize 3.0, a HubSpot Diamond Partner agency

We dig into:

• How AI is reshaping email marketing
• Why email is still the most reliable channel you can own
• The biggest email marketing mistakes that founders and developers make
• What it actually takes to build a product that sells—not just one that works
• And real advice for developers who want to turn skills into a business

🎙 Guest LinkedIn Profiles

Mike Donnelly — Founder, Seventh Sense

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikedonnelly1/

Boris Robles-Slyusar — Senior Digital Marketing Manager, Educative

https://www.linkedin.com/in/borisslyusar/

Doug Kirk — CEO, Optimize 3.0

https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglastkirk/

🏢 Company Pages

Seventh 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 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

I lay out the project with tons of resources right here 👇

https://brianjenney.medium.com/your-learning-roadmap-to-become-a-software-developer-2e15e1ce1e22

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

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