Stories from the Hackery

In this episode of Stories from the Hackery, recent NSS full-time, full-stack software development graduate, Kris Cagle, shares his transition from working in podcast AV production to vibe coding his own AI-driven app for musicians (RoadUno) and enrolling in Nashville Software School. He dives into overcoming code review anxiety, how networking at NSS roundtables helped him land a job quickly, and why adaptable problem-solving skills matter more than knowing a single programming language.

00:33 Meet Kris Cagle

00:57 Why Switch to Tech

02:36 Vibe Coding Origins

04:09 Vibe Coding RoadUno

07:26 Code Reviews and Confidence

10:25 Mock Interview Breakthrough

11:27 Career Development Support

14:15 Job Search Strategy

20:18 Networking and Meetups

21:28 Advice for Future Students

24:57 First Weeks on the Job

26:45 Cohort Community and Growth

28:10 Closing Thanks and Outro

Links:

RoadUno: https://roaduno.com/

What happens when you introduce artificial intelligence to a software development team? Does it fix structural flaws, or does it break things faster? In this episode of Stories from the Hackery, Nashville Software School (NSS) founder John Wark sits down with NSS alumna and former instructor Sydney Noh to discuss AI adoption, developer advocacy, and the realities of modern software engineering.

Sydney shares her transition from television production to full-stack engineering, her experience teaching five evening cohorts at NSS, and how she helped build internal developer advocacy roles at Built and FortyAU. From leading company-wide AI training to analyzing codebase health, Sydney breaks down why AI acts as an amplifier for team culture—accelerating success on clean codebases while exposing technical debt on fragile ones.

SHOW NOTES:

00:00 - Meet Sydney Noh: Full-Stack Engineer, Tech Educator, and Developer Advocate

01:55 - Her Nashville Story: Transitioning from Television Production to Tech

03:14 - Attending NSS (Cohort 33) and Landing a Developer Role Before Graduation

05:48 - Returning to NSS as a Part-Time Evening Instructor

08:18 - Defining the Internal Developer Advocate Role

20:38 - Creating Opportunity: Writing Documentation & Building a New Role at Built

26:33 - Rolling Out AI Training & Anthropic Certifications at FortyAU

33:23 - The 3-Level AI Training Framework: From LLM Basics to Integrated Workflows

39.31 - Fusion Wednesdays: Discovering Why AI Amplifies Existing Engineering Culture

43:12 - Leveraging Interest in AI to Address Technical Debt

48:30 - Predictions for 2027: Moving Beyond Chat, the Power of QA Mindsets, and System Architecture

58:00 - Tech Guilty Pleasure & Personal Passions: Solar Punk, Gardening, and IT Girls Nashville

LINKS

FortyAU: https://fortyau.com/

DORA Research Report on ROI of AI-assisted Software Development: https://cloud.google.com/resources/content/dora-roi-of-ai-assisted-software-development

Claude Code & Anthropic Architecture Programs: https://academy.claude.com/

IT Girls Nashville on Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/it-girls-nashville/

Nashville .NET on Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/nashdotnet/

Connect with Sydney Noh on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/sydneycnoh/

What happens when a side hustle photo business turns into a decade-long marketing career that no longer fits? In this episode, Michael Galo shares his non-linear journey to Nashville Software School (NSS). After feeling "stuck" in marketing and communications, Michael decided to follow the advice of local coffee shop regulars and dive into tech.

Michael discusses the intensity of the six-month Software Development bootcamp, the "fire hose" of learning, and why he chose to immediately specialize further by joining NSS's brand-new Data Engineering program through the ProTech initiative.

01:33 Life Before NSS: A Decade in Photo Production, Marketing & Communications

02:31 The Spark: Too Many Alumni at the Coffee Shop

02:57 Why Software Development?

04:59 Navigating the Bootcamp Challenge: The Capstones

06:52 The Importance of Community and Teamwork

08:01 Specializing with Data Engineering and ProTech

10:41 Deepening Backend Skills and Data Architecture

12:18 Expanding the Job Search Target

14:24 Career Development: Beyond the Resume

16:18 Advice for the Job Search: Stay Connected

18:00 Is Now the Right Time to Invest in Yourself?

20:10 Final Thoughts: Busting Through the Walls

Generative AI is leveling the playing field for neurodiverse technologists. In this episode of Stories From The Hackery, we sit down with NSS alum, Shalane Proctor for an honest and insightful conversation about neurodiversity, learning to code, and generative AI as an assistive technology.

Shalane shares what it was like to be diagnosed with AuDHD during bootcamp, how that shaped her learning process, and why generative AI tools like ChatGPT became key to understanding complex concepts. Whether you’re neurodivergent yourself, have neurodivergent colleagues, or are just curious how generative AI is really being used on the ground—this episode will stick with you.

00:00 Introduction to Stories from the Hackery

01:17 Meet Shalane: From Customer Service to Software Engineer

03:05 Networking and Landing the First Job

06:35 Challenges and Discoveries in Software Engineering

08:23 Navigating Neurodiversity in Tech

14:08 The Role of Generative AI in Learning and Development

17:23 Balancing AI Assistance with Personal Growth

20:59 Lessons Learned and Future Directions

22:39 Limitations of ChatGPT in Software Engineering

25:53 The Role of AI in Automation and Job Creation

26:38 Practical Use Cases for AI in Software Development

30:35 AI's Impact on Neurodiverse Software Engineers

35:41 Personal Reflections on AI's Assistance

39:02 Technology Guilty Pleasures and Gaming

40:31 Final Thoughts and Appreciation

Links:

Nashville Software School: https://nashvillesoftwareschool.com

The 70% Problem - By Addy Osmani: https://addyo.substack.com/p/the-70-problem-hard-truths-about

Career change is a roller coaster, but it's one you can navigate with the right support. Jenni Roselle, a graduate of Nashville Software School’s full-time Data Analytics cohort DDA16, shares her journey from a decade as a hairdresser to landing a data analyst role at Ascension.

Jenni discusses how the pandemic prompted her re-evaluation of her career, how her brief compliance role sparked an interest in data storytelling, and why she chose NSS (her husband's success story helped!). She offers invaluable advice on tackling the bootcamp's intensity by setting firm boundaries and shares her strategy for job search success, emphasizing that all connections—even those from swing dancing—matter.

00:58 Life Before NSS

01:04 The Spark for Data

03:21 The Motivation to Choose NSS

03:49 Navigating the Bootcamp Challenge

05:40 Setting Boundaries to Avoid Burnout

07:23 Mock Interviews and Career Development

10:59 Strategy for Landing the Job

12:12 Networking Advice: Always Share What You're Doing

13:37 Unexpected Connections (from Swing Dancing!)

16:04 Is Now the Right Time to Start?

Data Analytics Bootcamps:

Full-time: https://nashvillesoftwareschool.com/programs/data-analytics-full-time

Part-time: https://nashvillesoftwareschool.com/programs/data-analytics-part-time

Analytics Jumpstart: https://nashvillesoftwareschool.com/programs/analytics-jumpstart

Kasey Endsley, a graduate of Nashville Software School’s full-time, full-stack Web Development Cohort 76, shares her journey from working as a vet technician and manager to becoming a software developer. She discusses finding a career that finally offers the intellectual challenge she was seeking. Kasey dives into the power of the NSS community and the impact of continued training through our ProTech classes. Most importantly, Kasey offers her best advice for anyone asking: Is now the right time to do a bootcamp?. Spoiler: She says you should believe in yourself and take the chance. Hear her successful job search strategy, including why she focused on networking with NSS alumni and applying to companies that hire local graduates.

01:04 Before NSS

01:40 The Motivation to Change Careers

02:37 From Neopets and MySpace

03:28 The Aha Moment in Bootcamp

05:28 The Power of the NSS Community

06:18 Continuing Education with ProTech

09:31 Confidence Boost for the Job Search

10:24 Networking for Success

13:47 The Importance of Genuine Connections

15:32 Why Start a Software Development Bootcamp Now

Software Development Bootcamps:

Full-time, Full-stack: https://nashvillesoftwareschool.com/programs/web-developer-full-time/

Part-time, Full-stack: https://nashvillesoftwareschool.com/programs/web-developer-part-time/

Continuing Education Classes:

Cloud Deployment Fundamentals: https://nashvillesoftwareschool.com/programs/cloud-deployment-fundamentals

Introduction to Agentic AI for Developers: https://nashvillesoftwareschool.com/programs/agentic-ai-tools-for-developers

Does generative AI level the playing field between a junior and an experienced developer? Or does experience matter more than ever? To get a real-world perspective, we sat down with two Nashville Software School (NSS) graduates now working together at Purity Health: Ripal Patel, an alum of Web Development Evening Cohort 8 and developer with five years of experience, and Drew Goodman, a 2024 graduate from Web Development Cohort 70. They share their perspectives on climbing the agentic AI learning curve, from their initial fears about AI to how it's already changing their daily workflows

02:08 - Meet Ripal: From Healthcare to Software Development

05:18 - Ripal's Initial Hesitation About AI

08:02 - Meet Drew: From Finance to a New Career in Tech

09:41 - Drew's Experience in a Slower Job Market

14:46 - Ripal's View: Did Experience Help in the AI Class?

18:10 - Drew's View: AI, Experience, and the Power to 'Screw Things Up'

19:37 - Aha Moment: 'It's Not Gonna Take My Job'

22:09 - How AI Changes the Developer Workflow: More Time Reviewing

23:41 - How AI Helps Junior Devs: More Time for System-Level Learning

26:09 - Key Mental Skill for AI: Breaking Down Big Tasks

30:33 - How is AI Different from Stack Overflow for Learning?

33:35 - Using AI to Learn a New Tech Stack on the Fly

36:04 - Workflow Breakdown: Agentic Mode vs. Ask Mode

40:29 - Using Guardrails and Instructions to Keep AI Consistent

44:53 - The NSS Mindset: 'Learning How to Learn'

46:41 - Advice for Experienced, Hesitant Developers

47:38 - Advice for Junior Developers Using AI

49:41 - Recommended Resources

52:07 - Tech Guilty Pleasures

LINKS:

Purity Health: https://www.purity-health.com/

Nashville Software School: https://nashvillesoftwareschool.com

Should Startups Hire Junior Developers in the Age of AI? | Stories From The Hackery with David Andrews and Fletcher Watson of Purity Health: https://learn.nashvillesoftwareschool.com/blog/2025/10/29/should-startups-hire-junior-developers-in-the-age-of-ai-stories-from-the-hackery

Agentic AI Tools

GitHub Copilot: https://github.com/features/copilot

Cursor: https://cursor.com

Anthropic's Claude: https://www.anthropic.com/claude

Community & Learning Resources

Nashville Data Nerds: https://www.meetup.com/data-nerds/

FreeCodeCamp: https://www.freecodecamp.org/

Udemy: https://www.udemy.com/

Stack Overflow: https://stackoverflow.com/

Generative AI tools are changing software development, but how does that impact how we teach it? In this episode of Stories from the Hackery, NSS Founder John Wark sits down with Lead Instructor Steve Brownlee to discuss the intentional way generative AI has been integrated into NSS’s full-stack software development bootcamp.

They cover NSS’s AI journey: from initially coaching students to use AI as a personalized learning assistant (and not for code generation) to teaching "reverse engineering" workshops where students learn to prompt AI to build projects they just completed themselves.

Steve shares how NSS remains focused on building strong foundational skills first, emphasizing that students must know how to write good code before they can effectively review and manage AI-generated code. They also look ahead at new professional development courses, like Agentic AI for Developers, and what the rise of AI Engineering means for the tech industry.

SHOW NOTES:

04:00 The Evolution: Integrating GenAI into the Bootcamp

07:17 Using NotebookLM as a Personalized Learning Tool

09:58 Creating Sample Data with an LLM

11:31 The "Reverse Engineering Workshop": Learning to Prompt

18:27 Using AI to Complete Features in a Final Project

23:25 The Most Important Skill: Learning How to Learn

25:09 Beyond the Bootcamp: The Agentic AI for Developers Workshop

30:48 How Agentic AI Works: Your "Coding Intern"

35:24 What's Next? A New Class on Debugging Existing Code

43:09 The Future: What is AI Engineering?

51:38 Final Thoughts: An Exciting Time for Developers

LINKS:

ChatGPT: https://chatgpt.com/

NotebookLM: https://notebooklm.google/

Should startups only hire senior developers? The conventional wisdom says yes, but what if hiring junior developers is actually a startup's secret weapon for building a strong, collaborative culture?

In this episode, we talk to Purity Health's Chief Technology Officer, David Andrews, and Chief Product Officer (and NSS grad!) Fletcher Watson. David and Fletcher share why they've made it a priority to hire junior developers from the beginning. They discuss how they create a supportive culture, mentor new team members, and help them find their career paths.

Plus, we get a real-world look at how their team uses generative AI tools like GitHub Copilot and the "strong guardrails" they’ve put in place—like mandatory code reviews and complete test coverage—to ensure quality. This is a must-listen for aspiring developers who want to know what supportive companies look for and how great teams are built or startups looking to hire junior developers.

00:33 Welcome & Introduction

01:06 Fletcher Watson's Journey: From Teaching in Korea to NSS

03:58 David Andrews' Story: A Serial Entrepreneur & Technologist

06:04 Roles at Purity Health: CTO vs. CPO

07:01 What is Purity Health? (Mission & Tech Stack)

11:53 The Startup Case for Hiring Junior Developers

14:42 Why Juniors Are Key for Building Culture

20:42 How to Mentor: Making Juniors Feel "Comfortable"

27:57 Helping Developers Find Their Path

38:25 Integrating Generative AI at a Startup

39:35 "Strong Guardrails" for Using AI

44:10 Using AI to Build and Review Tests

50:15 Build Guardrails to Avoid "AI Salvage"

53:47 Technology Guilty Pleasures

57:18 Final Thoughts

LINKS:

Purity Health: https://www.purity-health.com/

Nashville Software School: https://nashvillesoftwareschool.com

GitHub Copilot: https://github.com/features/copilot

In this episode of Stories from the Hackery, we talk with Nashville tech leader and hiring manager Jason Turan about one of tech's most in-demand fields: data engineering.

Jason, a long-time friend of NSS, was one of the first people to tell us that Nashville needed more data engineers. He shares his perspective on what a data engineer does, describing the role as the "connective tissue between data producers and data consumers".

Listen in to hear us discuss:

- Why data engineers are essential for flipping the 80/20 rule, allowing data scientists and analysts to spend less time cleaning data and more time finding insights.

- How the rise of generative AI has acted as an "accelerant," increasing the need for high-quality data and the professionals who can provide it.

- Actionable advice for getting started in the field, including the importance of focusing on a "T-shaped skillset" with SQL at its core.

- Why Jason's number one piece of advice is to be curious, experiment, and "go out and do the thing".

01:20 Meet Jason Turan: His Tech Origin Story

03:04 Jason's History with NSS and Hiring Grads

07:28 Defining Data Engineering: The "Connective Tissue" of Tech

11:15 Why Nashville is a Hub for Data Engineers

13:56 Healthcare's Impact on Nashville's Data Jobs

20:35 How GenAI Accelerates the Need for Data Engineers

31:33 Getting Started: Lower Barriers to Entry

39:03 A Top Use Case for AI: Understanding Your Codebase

52:21 Misconceptions & the "T-Shaped Skillset"

55:29 The Value of Hands-On Learning: "Go Do the Thing"

58:52 Lightning Round: Favorite Tech Tools

01:00:32 Lightning Round: Top Reads & Resources

Links

Metabase: https://www.metabase.com/

DuckDB: https://duckdb.org/

MotherDuck: https://motherduck.com/

Ralph Kimball: The Data Warehouse Toolkit: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1118530802

Bill Inmon: Building the Data Warehouse: https://www.amazon.com/Building-Data-Warehouse-W-Inmon/dp/0764599445

Edward Tufte: The Visual Display of Quantitative Information: https://www.amazon.com/Visual-Display-Quantitative-Information/dp/0961392142

Brendan Keeler: The Health API Guy: https://healthapiguy.substack.com/

TLDR Newsletter: https://tldr.tech/

Nashville Technology Council (NTC): https://technologycouncil.com/