Launch School Podcast

2024 Capstone Salary Data Insights with Chris

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 17:00:00 -0500

In this episode, Chris shares insights from the most recent salary data for Capstone graduates who began Capstone in 2024. He highlights notable trends, including the return to office and the significant salary gap for roles based in New York City and the San Francisco Bay Area.

We then open the floor to student questions, covering a range of topics such as what incoming students can expect when entering Capstone in 2026, how AI is shaping the day-to-day work of software engineers, and how current students can best prepare for those changes.

At Launch School, our goal is to be transparent and provide students with the resources they need to succeed. Discussing the state of the job market and what it means for both enrolled and prospective students is an important part of that mission. We hope you find the discussion insightful and helpful.

Capstone 2026 Updates: Adapting to a Changing Market

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Mon, 18 Aug 2025 05:00:00 -0400

Launch School has been investing in students and AI while adapting to the evolving software engineering landscape. In this episode, we sit down with Chris to discuss what Capstone students can expect in 2026.

Tune in for a discussion on:

Moving from three Capstone cohorts per year to two
New open source initiatives and internship opportunities to help grads build experience
Strategies and logistics for managing a longer job hunt
How the core curriculum has been evolving alongside Capstone over the years
Chris’s perspective on the future of software engineering

In a rapidly changing market shaped by AI, we’re committed to transparency and to investing in students’ success and preparation for today’s industry. The future is full of opportunity. 🚀

Major Curriculum Updates with Chris

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Sat, 26 Apr 2025 05:00:00 -0400

In this session, we covered three big updates happening at Launch School.

First, we introduced the new LSBot feature, which provides code reviews for exercies to help fill in support gaps. Chris touches on interesting questions surrounding both LSBot and AI in general, like if LSBot is intended to replace human TAs.

Next, we talked about the shift away from written assessments. Instead, students will now complete quizzes and interview-style assessments, to better prepare for real-world interviews and to adapt to the rise of AI tools. This also brings up the discussion of how AI will change the culture around getting jobs as SWEs.

Finally, we explained the split of the JS230 course into two separate courses: one focused on DOM manipulation, and the other on asynchronous JavaScript. These two courses will make the material more approachable, and the assessment course, JS239, will cover content from both.

We also touched on the future — including the possibility of adding AI education like prompt engineering into the curriculum — and encouraged students to view AI as a positive learning tool rather than something to be skeptical of.

S5E16: Student Spotlight - Battling Self-Doubt, A Student Transformation with Sherece

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 05:00:00 -0400

In this episode, Brandi has a conversation with Sherece, a current student nearing the end of the core curriculum.

They spend the first part of the conversation discussing how Sherece managed to overcome her extremely low confidence to not just progress through the core curriculum, but to even enroll amid self-doubt and fear of failure. Though she was an incredibly curious and eager-to-learn child, life circumstances meant that Sherece lost this part of herself for many years. After developing an interest in software and spending several years dabbling in the prep course, she finally took on Launch School.

Sherece is approaching the end of a successful core curriculum experience with a transformed self-image and a renewed passion for learning and pushing her limits. She shares valuable insights into the initial difficulties of Launch School, as well as the challenges encountered along the way, like the personal development needed to confidently lead SPOT sessions and overcoming a 'Not Yet'.

We hope you enjoy the episode!

S5E15: Daniel Nalesnik - Founder of HackChinese and Core Graduate

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Mon, 27 May 2024 05:00:00 -0400

In this episode, Chris interviews Daniel Nalesnik, the creator of Hack Chinese and a core curriculum graduate. Daniel used the fundamentals learned in the core program to build his own business.

They spend the first part of the episode discussing Daniel's winding journey to Launch School in which he left a successful career behind. Daniel quit his job to pursue Launch School full-time, driven by a long-held vision to create an application that would later become Hack Chinese. Unlike many students who pursue Capstone, Daniel was focused on the mastery-based core curriculum to build a solid foundation, equipping himself with the skills necessary to bring his idea to life.

During the rest of the episode, Daniel shares the process of developing Hack Chinese, a language-learning platform designed to help users master Chinese characters through spaced repetition. Daniel was determined to be the sole developer, choosing to forgo venture backing and take on the project independently, even though it meant several years of work before success. He explains his desire to maintain complete sole proprietary and the satisfaction he finds in personally crafting every aspect of Hack Chinese.

We hope you enjoy the episode!

S5E14: Student Spotlight - The Ups and Downs of the Core Curriculum with Patrick

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Mon, 13 May 2024 05:00:00 -0400

In this episode, Brandi chats with current student Patrick about his journey thus far through the core curriculum. They discuss what it's like coming from a background of feeling completely incompetent with a computer to gaining the confidence to lead SPOT sessions and encourage other students to do the same.

Patrick also shares some of the more difficult hurdles he's faced. His initial plan and schedule for moving through the core curriculum were too rigorous, resulting in burnout and ultimately a false start where he paused his subscription while adjusting his expectations. After successfully restarting, as with many students, life happens and he must pause his subscription again. While most students hope for a very linear journey through Launch School, it's not always possible and this episode gives great insight into being flexible and allowing yourself the grace to take breaks.

We hope you enjoy the episode and also have a rest when you need it!

S5E13: Setting Students up for Success - Smooth Start Program with Karis

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 05:00:00 -0400

Sign-ups for Smooth Start 5 are open now! Read more and Apply here

In this episode, Brandi has a conversation with Karis about Smooth Start. Karis is part of the Launch School staff and is largely responsible for creating Smooth Start, an introductory program to help students overcome common hurdles that are often faced at the early stages of Launch School.

They discuss why Smooth Start was created and new students' struggles, whether they're in the prep course trying to gauge how to take the plunge into the core curriculum, or fresh into the core curriculum, nervous about taking their first assessment.

Karis shares the week-to-week schedule that Smooth Start students get to participate in, along with how the agenda has changed over the various cohorts based on feedback from students and leads.

Finally, we get a sneak peek at what's to come with Smooth Start 5. Karis explains what's new in this cohort and how you can get involved.

S5E12: Missy Lovegren - From Fine Arts to Software Engineering

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Mon, 15 Apr 2024 05:00:00 -0400

In this episode, Chris interviews Missy Lovegren, a Capstone grad and software engineer at New Relic. Missy was a TA at Launch School and part of a 2022 Capstone cohort.

They spend the first part of the episode discussing Missy's transition into software. She comes from a background in fine arts and went through several difficult, low paying, and, as she described, dead-end jobs. Even so, the decision to leave fine arts and transition into software development was challenging. She gives a very candid and level-headed perspective on the ups and downs of the core curriculum, Capstone, and the job hunt.

During the rest of the episode, Missy shares what it's like to work for New Relic, a massive company with over 500 engineers. She's part of a small team of 6 working on internal tools for the company, where she spends a lot of time debugging and relying on the fundamentals that she built at Launch School. She also gives insight into how she fits into the company as a Launch School grad and what her day to day is like.

We hope you enjoy the episode!

S5E11: Student Spotlight - From Coasting to Excelling, a Student Transformation with Nick

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Mon, 01 Apr 2024 05:00:00 -0400

In this episode, Brandi has a conversation with Nick Perry, a current student and active member of the Launch School community. Nick shares his background and how he was never a 'good' student previously in high school and university. When he began Launch School, like many students, he wasn't sure if he could succeed and had to reevaluate his perception of his abilities both technically and as a dedicated student. He discusses reshaping his study habits, confidence, and dedication not just to succeed, but to become a leader in the community with a trusted network of support around him.

He also gives insight into overcoming a 'Not Yet' on his first coding challenge interview, even though he was technically prepared. He cites the support that he received from peers as a critical component of his ability to persevere. Nick is a great example of someone who came in uncertain, with low confidence, and became a pillar in the Launch School community as a SPOT lead, a Smooth Start lead, and over two-thirds of the way through the core curriculum. He's an excellent example of the transformation that can happen at Launch School.

We hope you'll have a listen!

S5E10: Felicia Bacon - A Lifelong Learner Thriving at Starbucks

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 05:00:00 -0400

In this episode, Chris has a conversation with Felicia Bacon, a Capstone grad and Software Engineer at Starbucks. Felicia made a trajectory change after studying to be an architect for several years. Her core curriculum journey was one of perseverance, spanning three and a half years. She shares candidly about her experience receiving a 'not yet' on the first Launch School assessment and her all-in approach to mastery-based learning.

Working at a corporate giant like Starbucks, Felicia is in an ever-changing environment where she's constantly required to learn new tools. She shares how drawing from mental models and foundations that she built at Launch School helps her continue to learn and thrive in her company. This episode gives great insight into how having a lifelong learning mentality can lead to opportunities, resulting in not just high-paying jobs, but a gratifying and healthy career too. Whether you're a few days into the core curriculum, or about to start your job hunt, you're likely to learn something from Felicia.

We hope you enjoy the conversation!

S5E9: Student Spotlight - Climbing the Learning Curve as a New Student, with Katelyn

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 05:00:00 -0500

In this episode, Brandi interviews Katelyn, a current student finding her footing in the first few courses of the core curriculum. Katelyn is in a career transition, with a background in project and construction management, having majored in civil engineering in college.

We reached out to Katelyn to see if she wanted to share her story after she wrote and shared an article about her experience receiving a 'Not Yet' on an assessment. Every student has a different approach when they don't pass an assessment, but most approaches don't involve telling everyone in the community how and why it happened, in hopes of helping others. We wanted to hear from her!

They discuss her 'Not Yet' and what changes she made to her study habits. Katelyn also discusses her approach to having an online presence, and how she's taken as many opportunities as possible to work on her soft skills in conjunction with the technical skills she's learning from the coursework.

This is a great episode for gaining insight into what you can expect from your first few courses at Launch School, and the learning curve that many students face as they find their footing.

S5E8: Alex Strick van Linschoten - Open Source Machine Learning, based in Europe

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Mon, 19 Feb 2024 05:00:00 -0500

In this episode, Chris interviews Alex Strick van Linschoten, a Capstone grad working in machine learning. They spend the first part of the interview discussing his background and Capstone experience, and later on discuss the field of machine learning.

Alex had a full career before he transitioned into machine learning. He has a PhD in history and spent over 15 years doing research in Afghanistan. When he was ready for a change, he found Launch School and spent over three years going through core and Capstone. He shares his experience participating in Capstone from Pakistan, where he had a nocturnal schedule to work with his team. He also gives perspective on doing a job hunt in Europe.

For much of the interview, they discuss the state of the machine learning field. Alex is working as an ML Engineer at ZenML, on an open-source code base. They touch on what it's like working in a relatively new field and how Alex has incorporated into his team.

We hope you enjoy the conversation!

S5E7: Launch School Explained with Chris Lee

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Mon, 05 Feb 2024 05:00:00 -0500

In this episode, recorded at the end of 2023, Brandi asks Chris the most frequently asked questions that current and potential students have.

Chris starts the episode with a recap of the story of Launch School, and how his journey into teaching software over 10 years ago led to the Launch School curriculum as we know it now. This story explains how the curriculum is chosen and why adding assessments was a necessary step in the evolution of his teaching platform.

The story of Launch School gives a lot of insight into why things are the way they are now, but there were still questions to be answered. Chris spends the last hour of the episode answering questions that we see again and again, whether it's from current students, potential students, or those who've chosen a different path for their education journey.

This episode highlights how intentional every piece of Launch School is. It's an educational system built with an engineering mindset. We hope you come away with a better understanding of Launch School, and as always, we're happy to answer your questions or hear your ideas.

1:19 - The History of Launch School
22:43 - Why do students have to participate in interview assessments?
28:40 - Why is there a limit on the number of ‘Not Yet’s a student can get?
36:11 - Why is the standard or required grade to pass an assessment so high?
43:45 - Why can’t students test out of the core curriculum if they already have experience?
55:15 - How do you decide what content and the level of difficulty of the core curriculum?
58:51 - Why doesn’t the Launch School curriculum have a portfolio?
1:02:59 - Why are the community guidelines so strict?
1:08:15 - Why isn’t there any support to help core grads get jobs?

S5E6: Julia Martin - The Journey from JS101 to Databricks

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Mon, 22 Jan 2024 05:00:00 -0500

In this episode, Chris interviews Julia Martin, a Capstone graduate and software engineer working at Databricks. Julia shares her story about deciding to make a career transition from business to software. Her interest in software was piqued during her work as a business analyst, where working with SQL was part of her role. She spent some time considering various bootcamps before finding Launch School, and ended up quitting her job to study full-time.

Now, she's working on the Delta Live Tables team at Databricks in a hybrid, but mostly in-person role. She talks about the connection she can see in hindsight from the early grind of the core curriculum, through her efforts in Capstone, to where she is now as a professional engineer working on a team. She has great advice for current students who feel unsure of their abilities.

We hope you enjoy the episode!

S5E5: Student Spotlight - Imposter Syndrome and Recovering From a 'Not Yet', with Trisha

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Mon, 08 Jan 2024 05:00:00 -0500

In this episode, Brandi interviews Trisha, a current student who is about two-thirds finished with the core curriculum.

Trisha opens up about receiving a 'Not Yet', a non-passing grade, on her first assessment over a year ago. She talks about the aftermath of doubt and insecurity. Trisha's trajectory changed drastically when she immersed herself into the community, finding a supportive group of peers to help her stay motivated, push her technically, and gauge her readiness for assessments.

This is a positive first-hand account of how your study habits can make or break your success at Launch School.

We hope you enjoy the episode!

S5E4: Jon Kulton - From Software Engineering to SRE

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Mon, 25 Dec 2023 05:00:00 -0500

In this episode, Chris interviews Captsone Graduate Jon Kulton, a software engineer at Datadog. Before Launch School, Jon was a UX designer in a role that included some programming. Ultimately, Jon decided he wanted to transition into a more software-centric role.

Jon was part of the 2019 fall cohort and began his job hunt at the start of Covid. Between being based in Ohio and the challenges that came with Covid, Jon had a tough job hunt. He shares insight into the experience of landing his first role during this time. After almost two years, Jon moved on to Datadog, where he works alongside ex-FAANG engineers.

The conversation also touches on his day-to-day at work, the technical details of working as a site reliability engineer, and the experience of joining a public company where the customer base is fellow software engineers.

We hope you enjoy the conversation!

S5E3: Student Resources - The SPOT & GatherTown

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Mon, 11 Dec 2023 05:00:00 -0500

In this episode, Chris meets with JD and Daniel, two SPOT Admins and current students. They chat about what the SPOT is, who it's for, and how it can complement your Launch School studies, both technically, but also as a jumping-off point for joining the community.

The SPOT, which stands for Study, Practice, Overlearn, Teach, is a student-led community within Launch School that facilitates virtual study sessions for every course in the Core Curriculum. They discuss the deterrents that often stop students from utilizing the space, such as being unaware that it exists, feeling inadequate to participate, or being intimidated by stepping into an existing community. In addition to encouraging students to attend SPOT sessions, they discuss what it means to be a 'SPOT Lead', and how it can push you even further as a student and leader.

They also discuss and show off GatherTown, the virtual study space where you can quite literally 'bump into' your peers. As a virtual school, it takes effort to deisolate your studies. GatherTown is a great place to go, whether you're joining a study group, meeting with a peer, or hanging out near others as accountability buddies.

Have a listen, and we hope to see you in GatherTown!

S5E2: Student Spotlight - ADHD and Parenthood with Benjamin

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Mon, 27 Nov 2023 05:00:00 -0500

In this episode, Brandi has a conversation with Benjamin Walker, a current student, nearing the end of the back-end portion of the curriculum. They discuss Benjamin's approach to balancing full-time parenthood and his journey as a neurodivergent student.

Benjamin was a high school math teacher for 12 years. After becoming a father, he decided he was ready for a career change. He talks about how he decided to study at Launch School and the considerations this involved, given his prioritization of parenthood. Later on, he talks about what it's like to have ADHD and the strategies he employs to be a successful student. Benjamin juggles a busy life and gives great insight into the sacrifices and hurdles many students face on their journey to mastery.

We hope you enjoy the conversation!

S5E1: Ginni Pinckert - Ancient Greek to AI

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Mon, 13 Nov 2023 05:00:00 -0500

In this episode, Chris interviews Ginni Pinckert, a software engineer at Sudowrite. Ginni is a recent capstone graduate, finishing in early 2023. She has a diverse background pre-Launch School, having studied classical languages, literature, and linguistics with a mild obsession with Greek mythology and Sci-Fi. She worked in the fashion industry for several years and then worked as a small business owner creating organization systems to help clients with productivity.

Her Launch School journey was a relatively long one, spending about 2 years working through the core curriculum as a mostly full-time student, with some of her time dedicated to being a TA. After Capstone, it's no surprise that Ginni ended up with a company just as passionate about writing as she is, now working on a small team developing a text editing interface that integrates AI to help writers write. Ginni gives great insight into what it's like to apply for jobs as someone without any prior experience in tech as well as a refreshing perspective on the tough job market. As someone used to donning many hats, it's clear that Ginni is open to new experiences and putting in the work it takes to do a job well, and her time through Launch School, Capstone, and now her new career, are no exceptions.

We hope you enjoy the conversation!

S5E0: Welcome to Season 5!

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Fri, 10 Nov 2023 05:00:00 -0500

A quick introduction to this season with a peek at what's to come.

S4E8: Capstone Salary Reflections

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Mon, 19 Dec 2022 08:00:00 -0500

In this episode Chris and Karis discuss the latest Capstone Salaries page update. Chris shares important data to look out for on the new salaries page, and provides advice when comparing other career-launching programs out there on the market. This discussion is to be used as a companion guide to the salaries page, and is especially helpful for those looking to have more clarity on Capstone. The episode finishes with some announcements and upcoming events.

Because the Capstone Salaries page is discussed in depth it might be a good idea to have launchschool.com/salaries open as you listen to this episode.

to listen to the podcast click on the play button above the RSS and SHARE buttons

Introduction
Salaries Page Discussion
Conclusion & Karis Sign-off
Announcements

Show Notes

Fill out our form below if you have any questions about anything Launch School related whether its our prep course, Core Program, Capstone and beyond. Your question could be answered in our next episode!

Ask a Question Form

S4E7 Bytes: Biggest Takeaways This Year

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Wed, 07 Dec 2022 19:00:00 -0500

In this bytes episode Karis asks Chris and the Launch School community "What was some of their biggest takeaways this year at Launch School?" After the students and staff share their takeways, Karis closes with some Launch School announcements and upcoming events.

to listen to the podcast click on the play button above the RSS and SHARE buttons

Introduction
Chris' Takeaways
Bytes: Community's Biggest Takeaways this year
Conclusion
Annoucements

Show Notes

Ask a Question Form

S4E6: Programming Essentials Workshops Q&A and Catchup with UK Capstone Graduate Kelvin

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Wed, 28 Sep 2022 01:00:00 -0400

In this episode Chris and Karis conduct a Q&A session about Launch School's new Programming Essentials Workshops, what they are why new programmers would want to attend. Karis then catches up with Launch School Alumnus Kelvin, who shares his experiences as a UK Capstone student and what it's like working as a software engineer based in the UK. The episode comes to a close with some Launch School announcements and upcoming events.

to listen to the podcast click on the play button above the RSS and SHARE buttons

Introduction
Workshop Q&A: What are Programming Essentials Workshops?
Workshop Q&A: Who are the workshops for?
Workshop Q&A: How do workshops differ from study sessions?
Workshop Q&A: What do I gain from attending a workshop?
Workshop Q&A: Would I learn anything new if I'm already going through the Prep Courses?
Workshop Q&A: Is it mandatory to attend a workshop for Launch School Students?
Workshop Q&A: Will there be a recording of these workshops available?
Workshop Q&A: More Information
Interview with UK Capstone Graduate Kelvin
Annoucements

Show Notes

Ask a Question Form

S4E5: Transforming at Launch School

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Mon, 22 Aug 2022 19:00:00 -0400

In this episode Chris and Karis discuss a recent inspirational talk given by Core graduate student Jake. Chris answers some additional Launch School-related questions including how ISAs work. Karis interviews Capstone graduate and Launch School Alumna Catherine, who shares what life has been like as a software engineer a year and a half on from her studies at Launch School. The episode ends with a few announcements about the latest events.

Introduction
Discussion on Jake's Gather Town Talk: Transformation
Discussion on Jake's Gather Town Talk: Study Checklists
Discussion on Jake's Gather Town Talk: Good Grades as the Goal
Question about Technicality versus Personality in a Tech Role
Question about Income Share Agreements (ISAs) at Lauch School
Interview with Catherine
Annoucements

Show Notes

Ask a Question Form

S4E4: Capstone Salaries, Recession & The Younger Students of Launch School

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Tue, 19 Jul 2022 18:00:00 -0400

In this episode Chris discusses the latest 2021 Capstone salaries, and provides some advice for students that have concerns about the recession. Karis catches up with younger students, Ethan and Tyler, and learns how their Launch School studies are already making an impact on their software engineering journey. Karis ends the episode with a few announcements about the latest events at Launch School.

Introduction
2021 Capstone Salaries
Recession
Question about student impact on Recession
Question about increasing cost of Core and Capstone
Question about Capstone Admissions
Capstone Introduction and Breakdown
Interview with Ethan
Interview with Tyler
Annoucements

Show Notes

If you have any questions about anything Launch School related whether its our prep course, Core Program, Capstone and beyond please fill out our form below and your question could be answered in our next episode!

Ask a Question Form

S4E3: The Story of Launch School

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Thu, 05 May 2022 19:00:00 -0400

In this episode Launch School Student Felicia interviews Chris as he shares the origin story of how Launch School came to be. He also offers his unique perspective on how Launch School approaches learning, coding education and software engineering. The show includes several new announcements that students should be aware of.

Show Notes

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S4E2: Latest News, Interviews and Catch-up with Mandy

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Thu, 14 Apr 2022 17:30:00 -0400

This episode Karis and Chris discuss the all the latest Launch School interviews and presentations. Karis also catches up with the co-host from last season Mandy who now works at Mozilla. Finally they leave you with a number of new announcements that students should be aware of.

Intro
Agenda
Felicia's Interview with Chris
Felicia's Interview with Carolina
Women's Group Employer Speaker Series
Rodney's Tech Talk on GatsbyJS
New Assessment details: RB189/JS189
Answer your Questions on Air: Core Graduates
Karis' Interview with previous co-host Mandy
Reminders & Outro

Show Notes

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S4E1: Welcome to Season 4!

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Tue, 22 Mar 2022 01:00:00 -0400

This season Chris kicks off our first episode by introducing Launch Schools new podcast format and new co-host Karis. Together they discuss the latest events happening at Launch School and some quick reminders students should be aware of. Karis also catches up with previous host Callie in a 1 on 1 interview.

Introduction - 0:00
Agenda - 4:33
Buddy System for Female Students - 5:10
Felicia's Interview with Karis - 8:58
Chelsea's Article (Lessons From First Half of Core) - 12:25
Felicia's Video About How She Prepares For Assessments - 14:55
Katarina's Article (We are Made of Stories) - 16:25
Ethan's Article (Variable Scope and Access in Ruby) - 19:08
Importance of Teaching/Explaining Concepts - 19:54
New Assessment (RB/JS 185) - 21:01
Update to JS239 (and Why Courses Get Updated) - 24:57
Peer-Led Professional Git Seminar - 28:28
Start of Interview with Callie (Her Experience After Capstone) - 31:57
Callie's Advice for Current Core/Capstone Students - 40:52
What Callie Misses About Launch School - 43:27
Callie's Advice for Hosting Launch School Podcast - 45:40
Reminders & Outro - 48:48

Show Notes
Articles and Interviews:

New and updated assessment Information:

Professional Git Seminar Post:

Professional Git Peer-Led Seminar

Daylight savings notice:

Daylight Savings Launch School Post

Next Womens Meetup notice:

Women’s Group Meetup April 3rd 2022 Post

Ask a Question Form

S3E10: Season 3 Final Episode

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Mon, 20 Dec 2021 12:00:00 -0500

In today's episode, our podcast hosts Chris, Callie, and Mandy share their end of the year reflections on Season 3, new updates on where Mandy and Callie are going, upcoming ideas for season 4, and ambitious goals for Launch School in the New Year and beyond. Chris, Callie, and Mandy wishes everyone a joyous and wonderful holiday season!

You can listen from your favorite podcast app by searching for “Launch School”, or listen directly from your browser.

S3E9: Getting to Know Pete

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Wed, 15 Dec 2021 12:00:00 -0500

In today's episode, Callie chats with Launch School TA Pete about his journey to and through Launch School. He shares about his beloved cats we see glimpses of, what brought him to Launch School, and why he enjoys being a part of this community. He also sheds light on what makes a good Core student and talks about someone who made a lasting impact on his career.

You can listen from your favorite podcast app by searching for “Launch School”, or listen directly from your browser.

S3E8: Bytes — Gratitude

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Thu, 25 Nov 2021 08:00:00 -0500

In this Thanksgiving episode, Mandy talks to students who have been at Launch School for over a year. These students share what they are grateful for and how the community has helped them throughout their journey at Launch School.

Special thanks to the stories shared by the wonderful students: Alfonso Gonzalez, Felicia Bacon, Charles Hartman, Anne Tiotuico, Natalie Thompson, Rona Hsu, and Austin Miller.

You can listen from your favorite podcast app by searching for “Launch School”, or listen directly from your browser.

S3E7: Bytes — Life Stages

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Thu, 28 Oct 2021 12:00:00 -0400

In today's episode, Callie chats with three Launch School students in three very different life stages. They share how they came to Launch School, what seemed to come easy to them, and what was harder. Without hearing one another's interviews, they paint similar pictures that are still unique. Whether you've been here awhile or have just joined the community, their stories will encourage you and help you see, a little clearer, the wonderful community you're a part of.

You can listen from your favorite podcast app by searching for “Launch School”, or listen directly from your browser.

S3E6: Getting to Know Srdjan

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Mon, 27 Sep 2021 12:00:00 -0400

In today's episode, Callie chats with Launch School TA Srdjan as he shares his journey to and through Launch School. He generously shares about a wide range of experiences, from how his cats lovingly torture him to what scared him the most as a student/TA at Launch School. He shares lessons learned from being a student, and what he believes makes a genuinely good Capstone student (it's probably not what you think). There's also plenty of jokes and laughter — and who knew Srdjan could laugh ?

You can listen from your favorite podcast app by searching for “Launch School”, or listen directly from your browser.

S3E5: Women Who Code (WWCode) at Launch School

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Wed, 01 Sep 2021 12:00:00 -0400

In today's episode, students from Women Who Code share what the group is, what the meet-ups are like, and how they've found a sense of belonging and community.

These students talk about the importance of having a supportive community while going through the ups and downs of online learning at Launch School. They generously share their thoughts and experiences through their time spent in wwcode:

Elizabeth talks about how and why wwcode started
Dana and Bernardette share insights on what it's like hosting a meeting up
Rachael and Stephanie share their experience attending a meet-up
Gwen and Shay share how they have been helped by wwcode
Leena and Carolina talk about how wwcode influenced them and memorable moments throughout the year

You can listen from your favorite podcast app by searching for “Launch School”, or listen directly from your browser.

S3E4: John and Adam Isom -- Skipping College, CS Degree vs Launch School, and Making Six Figures Together

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Fri, 13 Aug 2021 13:00:00 -0400

In this episode, siblings John and Adam Isom come chat about their journeys working together through Launch School. Adam had completed a different coding bootcamp and was in the midst of completing his CS degree when he switched to focus on Launch School. John walked away from a college scholarship to study CS to do Launch School. Why did they do that? How did it work out? Give this episode a listen to find out!

In this conversation, we chatted about:

Attending college vs getting a job straight out of high school
A CS degree vs Launch School
Working and studying with your brother
The importance of a "default environment"
The SPOT community at Launch School
The awkwardness of a six-figure job hunt straight out of high school

You can listen from your favorite podcast app by searching "Launch School", or directly on this page (see audio player above).

S3E3: Bytes — Why Did You Choose Launch School?

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Thu, 05 Aug 2021 08:00:00 -0400

Today's episode is the first of a new series called Bytes: a collection of sound-bites from the Launch School community that answer a focused question.

A question we've all asked at some point or another is why should I go to Launch School? Maybe you're past that point, or maybe you're still trying to figure it out. Either way, listen in to hear the voices of eleven different people from the Launch School community share their answers to that very question.

There's also something new at the end that tells you how to help out with the podcast! So listen closely :)

You can listen from your favorite podcast app by searching for “Launch School”, or listen directly from your browser.

S3E2: An update from Gabe, Arthur, and Ben on friendship and teamwork through Capstone, the Job Hunt, and as professional Software Engineers

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Mon, 19 Jul 2021 22:15:00 -0400

Previously in Season 2, Chris talked with Gabe, Ben, and Arthur to share their story on how they, as a group, supported one another through the Core curriculum. That episode highlighted the importance of community and friendship.

In this episode, Gabe, Ben, and Arthur are back with us to share more! They update us about their journey through Capstone, the job hunt, working as software engineers and meeting each other in person for the very first time.

Gabe, Ben, and Arthur take us through their personal growth as individuals and as a group. They share amazing insights on imposter syndrome, building confidence, how conflicts help relationships grow, gratitude, freedom, fun, happiness, and ultimately lessons learned about friendship and teamwork.

"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far go together." - Gabe

S3E1: Barbara Oakley on Learning How to Learn & How Fundamentals Make All the Difference

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Tue, 15 Jun 2021 00:00:00 -0400

In today's episode, Launch School students Jenae and Mandy interviewed Barbara Oakley. Dr. Oakley is no stranger to Launch School students — her Learning How to Learn course is a required part of the preparation to being a student! The conversation has many gems, including what it’s like being a woman in STEM and how programming is a form of art.

She generously shared her own journey of learning how to learn, why “follow your passion” is actually not great advice, why taking your time greatly impacts your learning, and why programming is one of the best examples of how mastery-based learning is the way to go. She’s as kind, knowledgeable, and passionate as we all already knew her to be.

You can listen from your favorite podcast app by searching for “Launch School”, or listen directly from your browser.

S2E11: Q&A Capstone, Assessments, DPP, & 2020 Salaries with Chris

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Sat, 15 May 2021 00:00:00 -0400

In this episode, Staacy and I held a Zoom Q & A. I was happily surprised by the wide-range of topics that we got to dive into. Questions ranged from knowing if you’re on track for Capstone, when and how to get a job, how your age affects a career in tech, how to know if Launch School is for you, and how the Deferred Payment Program works.

Whether you’re new to Launch School, been here for awhile, or trying to figure out if you should try it, I shared a lot about why we do what we do and how it works in the “real world.” I’m biased, but I have the numbers to back me up: mastery-based learning really works, and it works long-term.

Speaking of numbers, our conversation concluded with the 2020 Capstone base salaries. I’m constantly blown away by how well Launch School students do — both in their projects and in the jobs they land. In 2020, we saw an increase in base salaries despite doubling in size, remote jobs, and COVID.

S2E10: Conference on Study Habits by The Social Network with Liz, Jesse, and Katarina

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Sun, 14 Feb 2021 16:00:00 -0500

In this episode, I caught up with Liz, Jesse, and Katarina to chat about another peer-led community group at Launch School called "The Social Network". We previously chatted with The SPOT community leads here on the podcast, but The Social Network differs in that its mission is geared towards social events and having fun.

Last month, The Social Network put on an amazing Conference on Study Habits. I have never heard of a conference on studying before, even though studiousness is the primary attribute for success in any learning endeavor. And that is certainly true for us at Launch School. I wasn't sure what to expect from the conference; worst case, it'll be a nice way for Launch School students to interact outside of the curriculum and assessments. However, the quality, participation, and reception of the presentations from that conference really surprised me. The talks were good -- really good -- and many participants said that the conference changed their approach to learning.

In this podcast episode, we talked about how The Social Network group came to be and what led to the conference and where we're going next with this group.

All conference talk recordings are here: https://www.reddit.com/r/launchschool/comments/klxl2t/a_full_week_of_content_on_study_habits_tools_and/

S2E9: Student Panel Discussion

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Wed, 18 Nov 2020 19:00:00 -0500

Welcome to another episode of the Launch School podcast. This is a slightly different episode in that it’s a recording of a webinar we did a few weeks ago about our Deferred Payment Program. Now why would we include a webinar in the podcast? Well, the reason is because this webinar is actually a panel of Launch School students and the conversation is mostly about their journey through Launch School, so I thought it’d be suitable for the podcast.

The student panel includes:

Derick Gross, Capstone alum, Software Engineer at Ridgeline
Catherine Emond, Capstone alum, Software Engineer at Shopify
Graham Robertson, current Core and DPP participant

Enjoy the conversation.

S2E8: Community Learning at The Spot with Leena, Rodney, and Christian

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Sat, 31 Oct 2020 22:00:00 -0400

In this episode, I caught up with Leena, Rodney, and Christian who started a peer-based study group within the Launch School community called SPOT, which stands for Study, Practice, Overlearn, and Teach. This is, arguably, one of the most important topics for us as a mastery-based learning program.

I’ve been observing this group for a few months and have been blown away by their organization, professionalism, quality of the study sessions, quality of the session leads, and in general the culture of giving back they’ve established.

Everyone is at Launch School because they are ambitious and they want to become the best programmers they can be. We’ve always said it’s a tough road and there’s a lot of hard work involved. Mastery based learning has the potential to unlock every individual’s potential, but it’s a lonely journey. The SPOT community is showing that you can have the best of both worlds and it doesn’t HAVE to be a lonely journey after all.

It’s showcasing the fact that Launch School, despite being online and being mastery-based, can also be a collaborative journey, one with community at the core.

Enjoy the conversation.

S2E7: Sunny Beatteay on Landing a Dream Job and Getting Promoted

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Thu, 23 Jul 2020 03:00:00 -0400

Welcome to Season 2, Episode 7 of the Launch School podcast. In this episode, I had a chance to chat with Sunny Beatteay, a senior software engineer at Digital Ocean and Capstone alum. This conversation was recorded a few months ago back in March, 2020. Many of you who hang out in the Launch School chat room have probably seen his name there. Sunny is always amazing to speak with because he’s so open and willing to share. Despite all his achievements, he has no ego and I hope through this conversation, it sheds light on the attitude and approach anyone at Launch School can take to reach their career goals.

In this conversation, we chat about day to day life at Digital Ocean, what projects he’s working on, how he got promoted so quickly just two years in, and he even gave a breakdown of his salary progression from when he first joined to his post-promotion salary. We also talked a bit about his post-Capstone job hunt and how it takes luck, confidence, and preparation to land an ideal job.

It’s a great conversation. By the way, if you take time to leave a positive a review for us on either Apple or Google, it’d help us spread the word. If you enjoyed this episode, we’d really appreciate it if you could leave us a good review. Thanks and I hope you enjoy!

S2E6: Michael Mentele - From Launch School to making $250k at Facebook

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Sun, 17 May 2020 05:00:00 -0400

In this episode, I asked one of our very first Capstone graduates to share with us what’s been going on a few years removed from graduating Capstone. Michael joined Launch School in 2016, finished Capstone in 2017, and is now making a “quarter of a million” at Facebook working on the Oculus VR team.

We always talk about Launch School being a long-term investment, so now we get to see what the returns on that investment can look like years down the road. I loved this conversation because despite the dream job and impressive salary, Michael absolutely exudes humility. He said something that I completely agree with, which is that humans are more similar than we are different, and if he can do it, anyone can. Just two years ago, he was just like you: here at Launch School working through the assignments. Note that this episode was recorded in the fall of 2019 and it is now, at the time of publishing this episode, mid-2020. I hope you enjoy our conversation.

S2E5: Nick Calibey on landing a six-figure remote Software Engineer role

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Sat, 18 Apr 2020 02:00:00 -0400

In this episode I got a chance to speak with Nick Calibey, a Capstone graduate and software engineer at TimescaleDB. We talked about how he went from getting his Masters in Theological Studies to now working on Cloud Infrastructure making 6 figures all working remotely from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Nick is one of the first remote people we took into Capstone, so the remote job hunt is a topic we focused on in this conversation. Now this episode was recorded late 2019; it is now April, 2020. At the time of recording, we were not yet in a pandemic and so we didn’t talk about that at all. Now in April 2020, we’re in the middle of quarantine and shelter-in-place rules, and all employers are interviewing remotely. I think remote jobs will only become more prevalent, especially in software, and I hope this conversation shows that there are also amazing engineering-centric remote jobs within the reach of Launch School graduates.

S2E4: Gabe, Arthur, and Ben on the importance of studying together and community

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Sat, 28 Mar 2020 00:00:00 -0400

I asked Gabe, Ben, and Arthur to come on the podcast today to share their story about how they, as a group, are supporting and helping each other through the Core curriculum and talk about the importance of community.

To me, they’ve cracked the code with regards to mastery-based learning. There are so many positives to mastery-based learning and if you’ve been listening to the podcast and following what we’re doing at Launch School, you know the results we’re seeing and how employers are responding to our graduates and of course seen our outrageous salaries. But what we don’t talk about very often is what a lonely process it can be to study in a mastery-based way.

In this episode, we’ll shed some light in how you can get the best of both worlds. How you can have a community and have a group-based support structure while also reaping the benefits of mastery-based learning.

S2E3: Sasha Prodan - 3 year journey to software engineering

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Mon, 09 Mar 2020 04:00:00 -0400

I catch up with Sasha Prodan, who describes her multi-year journey to her high-paying software engineering role. Sasha arrived in the US as an immigrant, worked retail jobs to support herself, and spent 3 years completing her transition to a software engineering role in San Francisco.

S2E2: Julius Zerwick on path to Software Engineer at DigitalOcean, writing a book, and comparing coding bootcamps

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Fri, 07 Feb 2020 03:00:00 -0500

Capstone graduate and frequent Launch School Tech Talk speaker, Julius Zerwick comes on the podcast to chat about his Software Engineer job at DigitalOcean, software salaries in NYC, the importance of soft skills, pros/cons of coding bootcamp vs Launch School, and his upcoming book Make Sense of Distributed Systems from Manning.

S2E1: Tannr Allard - $120k job first, college after

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Sun, 19 Jan 2020 19:00:00 -0500

In this first episode of Season 2 of the Launch School podcast, I chat with Capstone graduate Tannr Allard about his reflections on going from leaving college to a $120K job to working in blockchain development.

Meet a Student: Letladi Sebesho

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Sun, 07 May 2017 19:00:00 -0400

In this episode, we speak with Letladi Sebesho, a South African developer who recently completed all (well, most) of the Launch School courses. He talks about how Launch School compares with his computer science courses, his job hunt process, and also how he's been doing now that he's been working for a few months.

Meet a Student: Jay Shenk

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Sat, 01 Apr 2017 22:00:00 -0400

In this episode, Jay Shenk talks about changing career goals from an aspiring clarinetist to a programmer and how he applies what he learned as a trained musician to programming. Jay’s been at Launch School for around a year and shares some advice and tips around how to make the most out of your Launch School experience.

Meet a Student: Terry Lee

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Tue, 14 Mar 2017 23:00:00 -0400

Terry Lee came on the podcast today to talk about her experience so far at Launch School. Terry has been at Launch School for about a year and has aced every assessment so far. She talks about her previous career as a product manager, getting laid off, and then doubling down on her own education. We also talked about her recent participation at a hackathon and how she contributed despite not knowing the technology stack being used.

Meet a Student: Naveed Fida

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Mon, 27 Feb 2017 16:00:00 -0500

Naveed is has been learning at Launch School for around a year and has been an outstanding student so far. He's nearing the end of the curriculum and stopped by the podcast today to share his story. We talked about the unique challenges of Mastery-based Learning from a remote village in Pakistan. He has to deal with issues ranging from consistent internet connectivity to pricing -- you won't believe what he's had to do to pay for his subscription to Launch School.

Meet a Student: Darren Burgess

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Mon, 13 Feb 2017 18:00:00 -0500

Darren Burgess stopped by the podcast to talk about his experience at Launch School. Before starting at Launch School, he spent many years as a Filemaker Pro developer and even attended a different coding “bootcamp”. We talked about the learning process he’s been on and why he almost left Launch School.

Meet a Student: Rachel Minto

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Tue, 24 Jan 2017 12:00:00 -0500

Rachel is currently in the "Advanced" phase of the program, having completed all back end and front end courses. She stopped by to share her experience so far at Launch School. We talked about:

her art and philosophy background and how that's affected her programming journey
balancing Launch School with a fulltime job
Women Who Code and women in tech
her experience going through the Advanced courses
the importance of gaining confidence in what you do

Meet a Student: Tommy Caruso

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Mon, 09 Jan 2017 12:00:00 -0500

In this interview, Tommy Caruso shares with us his strategy of balancing a family, kids, finishing up his Computer Science degree, and Launch School all at the same time. Oh, and he’s also interning in his spare time. We had a great time chatting about time management, study habits, and the sacrifice it takes to really learn things to depth. Listeners may also be interested in his take on comparing his Computer Sciences courses with that of Launch School.

Meet a Student: Karl Lingiah

hello@launchschool.com (Launch School) — Wed, 04 Jan 2017 12:00:00 -0500

One of our students, Karl Lingiah, took time to answer some questions and talk about his journey so far at Launch School. He shares his ideas on learning in general, and specifically what his experience has been so far at Launch School.

Note: we had a sub-optimal internet connection, so the audio is not the best, but the full talk is still worth a listen.