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14 Comments

Self-taught/bootcamp coders

Are there many people on here without CS degree who have been successful indie hacking or getting into web dev jobs?

on June 24, 2019
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    Successful is a highly subjective term.

    I don't even know how to code (I use only no-code platforms, mainly bubble and carrd) and I have launched two profitable businesses that are my only source of income. I don't want to talk about $$$ but I can say that I live more than comfortably. People don't care if you can code or how did you learn, they want a product that is useful for them.

    For a job is obviously different but I can't help you. I have no relevant experience.

  2. 3

    I started studying software development two years out of college (was an econ major) and was able to break into the industry as an iOS dev - that was 7 years ago and since then I have been working as a freelance developer on the iOS and web side which has been going well.

  3. 2

    I studied mathematics at university, then started coding while working in analytics. I made the move into software dev soon after and haven’t looked back 😊 that was 2 years ago.

  4. 2

    Sure, I don't have a degree and have both launched my own projects as well as currently work as a lead dev for a small team. Some of the people I've worked with have been bootcamp devs as well.

    I'd say you really get what you put into it. CS is a huge field, and there's tons to learn. Without a degree you need to be both extremely motivated as well as constantly learning.

  5. 2

    I never graduated because back in the day they forced all CS majors to take a foreign language, which I sucked at, regardless of my getting straight A's in all my CS classes. I went on to, i'll say an "extremely" successful career as a software engineer at a major company, and founded my own company and had "wild" success with that too. If you're demonstrably good at what you do, that matters so much more than a degree stating the fact.

    1. 3

      It sounds like you got everything CS-related out of your schooling, except for the credential.

      1. 2

        yes but i only actually used the knowledge from like 2 classes total. the rest was a waste of time.

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          I've done CS courses just as MOOCs, but I've covered the same topics most students do.

          If I had to pick one the knowledge of just one course I could hold onto, it would be data structures and algorithms. If I could keep a second one, it would be automata.

          1. 2

            HAH! "Data Structures" was the one class at the top of my list as well.

    2. 1

      That's interesting! I'm not from the States so I didn't know about the foreign language requirement. Sounds like it hasn't held you back of course.

  6. 2

    I would be interested in hearing more about this myself. I'm a new bootcamp grade (completed 2 months ago) and I am still looking for work.

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