Develop Yourself
Episodes
3 Javascript Concepts That Will Level You Up as a Developer
13 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
"There are only two kinds of languages: the ones people complain about, and the ones nobody uses."JavaScript gets a lot of hate—but it’s...
The 3 Rites of Passage Every Developer Goes Through (And Nobody Warned Me About)
06 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
I wrote a triple nested for loop that took down a grocery chain's ordering system. I broke buttons across multiple sites as a senior engineering m...
Build This AI Project and You’re Ahead of 90% of Developers
30 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Follow along with the project by going here: https://www.parsity.io/5-day-ai-advisory-boardIn this episode, I walk you through a side project that, if...
The 6 Skills You Need to Become an AI Engineer
23 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Resources mentioned 👇parsity.io/ai-with-ragThe Router Pattern – A Smarter WayI mentioned that I got a lot more requests for interviews. Here'...
AI destroys your coding skills. A warning for junior developers
16 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
I created a free project for developers who want to learn AI the hard way: https://parsity.io/ai-with-ragI don't envy new coders. AI is being jamm...
#307 - I Designed an AI Engineer Interview. Most Developers Failed
16 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
👉 Grab a free project to learn about RAG in a practical way. 👈Last year, I quit an AI startup where I helped build a multimodal RAG system and t...
#306 - How 58 Applications Turned Into 16 Interviews: (Beating the Tech Job Market Game)
09 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
If you're curious about Bryan's strategy, you can apply to work with him here: 👉 Application form.The tech job market is brutal right now. ...
How to Get Hired as a Software Engineer in 2026: LinkedIn, Resume, Strategy
02 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In 2026, you can’t “avoid LinkedIn” and expect to get hired BUT you can't use it like 2023. In this episode, I break down the exact LinkedIn...
How AI Is Breaking Tech Interviews (and What Comes Next)
23 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Brian sits down with Fardeen Khimani, a 21-year-old Georgia Tech ML student and co-founder of Rounds, to talk about why technical interviews are broke...
#303 - 8 Harsh Truths for Software Developers in the AI Era
16 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
AI didn’t kill software jobs.But it did throw a grenade into the hiring funnel.In this episode, I break down 8 harsh truths about getting hired as a...
Bonus Episode: Coding Bootcamps, Online Education and the Future for Parsity
13 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Disclaimer: this episode is my thoughts on coding bootcamps and online education and where Parsity is going in the future.If you're interested in ...
#302 - Why a CS Degree Might NOT Be the Best Way to Become a Developer
09 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Should you get a computer science degree, enroll in a coding bootcamp, or teach yourself how to code?You’re probably not going to love the answer…...
#301 How We Would Break Into Tech If We Had to Start Over (2026 Blueprint)
02 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What if I had to break into tech today… with no degree, no connections, and a completely unrelated job?In this episode, I sit down with entrepreneur...
#300 - Build a Product, Not a Portfolio
26 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The hiring bar for junior developers has changed, and pretending it hasn’t will only slow your career. Let's break down a simple strategy to b...
#299 - Yes, You Must Learn to Code and Then Never Write Code Ever Again
19 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
AI is writing more code than ever, layoffs are everywhere, and it feels like software careers might be disappearing. In this episode, we explore why t...
#298 - Data Structures and Algorithms 101 (3 patterns you must know for your next interview)
12 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Grab your free interview prep crash course here: https://parsity.io/interview-prepWhiteboard interviews aren’t broken — most candidates just prepa...
#297 - From Crime to Coding: How to Build Bullet Proof Habits in 2026
05 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act but a habit."Habits beat motivation; small, daily actions reshape identity and ...
#296 - The 5 Worst Tech Trends of 2025 (And How to Win in 2026)
29 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Grab this project to learn the basics of RAG and working with agents https://www.parsity.io/ai-with-rag2025 was one of the most confusing years to be ...
Career Leverage For Non-Traditional Developers
22 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
5 Takeaways from Working at an AI Startup
15 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 we...
Inside the Email Infrastructure of High-Growth Companies
11 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Develop Yourself Podcast, I talk with three email and growth experts about something most developers overlook: email as a serio...
The ONLY Project You Need to Build to Become a Software Developer in 2026
08 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
I lay out the project with tons of resources right here 👇https://brianjenney.medium.com/your-learning-roadmap-to-become-a-software-developer-2e15e1...
#291 - Open Source + Hard Work: A CTO’s Roadmap for Junior Developers
01 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
#290 - 4 things no one tells you about learning to code after 30
24 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
#289 - This Year Nearly Broke Me - Here’s What I’m Changing...
20 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 larg...
#288 - AI Hype is Ruining Software (A Rant)
17 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"We don't really need developers any more""In 2 years, the tools will be so good, that no one will be writing code""Lear...
#287 - From Smoothie King to AI Engineer
13 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 less...
#286 - How to Know When You're Ready for ReactJS
10 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
#284 - The Junior Developer Interview Guide (From Recruiter Screen to React)
06 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 wil...
#285 - Listen to This Before You Learn to Code with AI
03 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 deve...
#284 - Are We in an AI Bubble?
30 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Original article: https://medium.com/@wlockett/you-have-no-idea-how-screwed-openai-actually-is-8358dccfca1cYour AI engineer starter project: https://p...
#283 - The Practical Guide to LinkedIn for Developers Who Hate LinkedIn
27 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Grab the templates for posting to LinkedIn here: https://www.parsity.io/learning-in-publicI’ve grown from 0 to nearly 40K followers on LinkedIn with...
#282 - From Overwhelmed To Hired: A Realistic Plan For Learning To Code on an Adult Schedule
23 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
👉 Your adult time audit worksheet 👈I get it.There is no time. You have kids, maybe adult dependents or a really good show you're binging...
#281 - Coding Bootcamp, College, Or Self-Taught? Which is Right For You and How to Decide
20 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Let's weigh college, bootcamps, and the self-taught route with blunt pros and cons, then map each path to market realities, hiring filters, and l...
#280 - The Missing Guide to AI for Web Developers
16 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
I just quit my job as a senior AI developer, and while helping hire my replacement, I realized how few people actually know how AI apps work. In this...
#279 - Recruiter Exposes the Truth About Junior Developer Jobs
13 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Just give up?Everyone says no one’s hiring junior developers anymore — but is that actually true?In this episode, I sit down with recruiter David ...
#278 - AI Does NOT Replace Junior Developers, Here's Why
09 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Every headline says AI is eating developer jobs. But spend a week in production and you’ll see the opposite: brittle code, flaky tests, and tools th...
#277 - RAG: The Only AI Skill Web Devs Need to Learn in 2026
06 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
I thought Ben was a troll when he slid into my DMs after a LinkedIn argument. Turns out, he’s building some of the most practical AI systems I’ve ...
#276 - Claude Code Failed: What Anthropic’s Postmortem Means for Developers
02 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ever had your AI pair programmer stop helping and start breaking everything? I did—and this time, the data proves it wasn’t just me.Claude fell of...
#275 - Terrible Advice for Software Developers (that you're hearing in 2025)
29 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After 11 years helping hundreds of career changers switch into software development, I've found the hardest part isn't teaching technical sk...
Developer Career Change Hotline: Networking, Breaking In, and Not Giving Up
25 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Let's tackle three of the most common struggles career changers face: 1. Breaking into tech from another field2. Networking without feeling fake...
#274 - The Cost of Being Nice: Why Good Developers Don't Get Promoted
22 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever wondered why some developers keep getting promoted while others stay stuck at the same level despite their technical skills? The answer...
#273 - When You Don’t Know What to Build—Build This
15 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Breaking into software development isn’t about finishing another tutorial—it’s about building something that matters. In this episode, I’ll sh...
#272 - The State of the 2025 Tech Job Market: Is AI Helping or Hurting Us?
11 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The tech job market is sending seriously mixed signals in 2025. While social media overflows with doom and gloom about hiring freezes and impossible e...
#271 - The Physics of Career Change: How Long It Actually Takes to Become a Software Developer
08 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Remember when coding bootcamps promised you could learn to code and land a job in just three months? That golden era of easy entry into tech has fund...
#270 - Coding in the Age of AI: What No One’s Telling You
04 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
AI is changing coding faster than anyone expected. Two years ago, autocomplete felt wild—now people with zero dev experience are shipping apps over...
#269 - I'm Burnt Out! The 3 Worst Parts About Being a Software Developer (and why I still love it)
01 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It’s Labor Day weekend and, honestly? I’m burned out.Maybe this isn’t the best business move, but I’d rather keep it real with you than fake t...
#268 - An AI Agent Horror Story: What Happens When AI Runs a Business?
28 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when you give an AI agent full control over a small business?I mean, what could go wrong?Things started off rough and then got down right...
#267 - Step-by-Step: Build a Real AI Project with Next.js & RAG
25 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What does it actually mean to be an “AI Engineer”? Honestly—not much. The title is overloaded and vague. But what is meaningful right now is k...
#266 - Startups 101: Insider Secrets for Aspiring Developers
21 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Develop Yourself, I sit down with Gabe Rucker, CEO of Founding Titans, to discuss everything from entrepreneurship and building sta...
#265 - Why JavaScript Feels So Hard To Learn: You're Making One of These Mistakes
18 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When I first tried to learn JavaScript, I hated it so much I told myself I’d just be an HTML and CSS developer and never touch it again. Of course,...
#265 - The 4 Databases Every Developer Should Know (Including 2 You Probably Don't)
14 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When your only tool is a hammer - everything looks like a nail.2 of these database I'm sure you've heard and 2 might be completely new to yo...
#264 - Stack Overflow's 2025 Developer Survey: Surprising Takeaways on AI, Coding Languages and Work
11 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Every year, Stack Overflow surveys nearly a 100,000 developers to learn what technologies, languages and tools are trending.The answers here might sur...
#263 - They're Lying to You About AI Productivity: Hype vs Reality for Coders
07 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Maybe I'm just coping.Maybe.I’ve been pretty vocal about the over-hype of AI coding tools and I always get the same responses from AI bros:“Y...
#262 - 12 Months to Hired: A No-Fluff Roadmap to Becoming a Software Developer
04 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If I lost everything today—no job, no network, no portfolio—and had to start over in 2025 as a software developer, I wouldn’t be looking for a 3...
#261 - I Used to Suck at Coding Interviews. Then I Started Doing These 4 Things
31 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Five years ago, during an interview for a senior dev role, I had a panic attack. It was one of my worst interview experiences. It also taught me a lot...
#260 - From Lead Engineer at MongoDB to Fashion Tech: On Hiring, Remote Teams, and Start-Up Life
28 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Harish, former lead engineer at MongoDB and current co-founder of Flaire, takes us on a journey through his unusual career path—one that didn’t in...
Office Hours: Answering Your Coding Questions EP 3
25 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Are junior devs cooked?How can I scaffold a solid MERN stack app?What's the best way to stick with a tutorial?We got some great questions this ep...
#259 - The Minimum Effective Dose of JavaScript You Need to Learn
24 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Learning JS is tough.And you're probably making some of the same mistakes I did in the past.In this episode you'll get a path and a small pr...
#258 - Should You Use AI While Learning to Code? A Senior Developer’s Take
21 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A junior developer who got hired at a startup used AI non-stop to keep up.It worked for weeks until he crashed and burned.He'd built a house of c...
#257 - Career Landmines: Three Developer Traps to Avoid
17 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
3 traps to avoid in your career, that I nearly fell for:1. The Framework Developer Trap2. The Developer in a Hoodie Trap (might be the most surprising...
#256 - The Rise of the Product Minded Engineer
14 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Watson, who scaled VIN Solutions to a $150 million exit, shares his journey from coding to building products that make a real impact in the busin...
#255 - Your First Open Source Project: A Weekend with Kyle Simpson’s Code
10 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode introduces a weekend project that will give you authentic experience working with existing code—a crucial skill that most tutorials and...
#254 - What Do Data Scientists Actually Do? A Candid Conversation with Ryan Varley
06 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever wondered what data scientists and engineers actually do all day? Forget what you've seen in movies – it's not all neural net...
#253 - The Real-World Step-by-Step Guide to Tech Interviews (Not for Google or Meta)
04 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Interviewing is arguably the highest paying skill you can have as a developer.I don't think this is fair but it is reality.I've taken part i...
#252 - 3 Coding Principles That Will Save Your Codebase (that most bootcamp grads don’t know)
30 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
These principles don't just create pretty code—they reduce bugs, simplify updates, and prevent real-world problems like the $10,000 mistake I m...
Office Hours: Answering Your Coding Questions EP 2
27 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this Office Hours Q&A, I got some pretty interesting questions:Should you lie on your resume to trick the ATS and get more interviews?If you’...
#251 - 8 truths no one tells you about becoming a software developer in today's market
26 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The software development market didn't die, it's just unrecognizable.Let's go over 8 harsh pieces of advice that will help you as a car...
#250 - Delivery Driver to Developer: Jacob’s Journey into Tech as a New Dad
23 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Whatever you do, don’t learn to code.The market is over-saturated.AI took your job.There is no hope.But then you meet someone like Jacob, a young da...
Office Hours: Answering Your Coding Questions EP 1
20 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Got a question you want answered on the show?Drop it here: Ask Your QuestionOn today's show:"I’m currently a mid-level product manager thi...
#249 - Data Structures and Algorithms for Beginners (Replay)
19 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Learning data structures and algorithms (DSA) isn't JUST a smart interview skill, it will boost your confidence as a software engineer, give you ...
#248 - The AI Productivity Myth: Reality vs. Hype
16 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Check out this beginner project to use AI with HTML and JS 👇Grab the project hereI'm no AI hater but I am getting so tired of the dialogue onl...
#247 - I Was the Worst Developer on the Team... Again
12 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever felt like the weakest link on your development team? You're not alone.The moment you land your first developer job, you're lik...
#246 - Coding Bootcamps, Burnout, and the Hard Truth About Breaking Into Tech: An Engineering Manager's Perspective
09 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What do engineering leaders really think about bootcamp grads?Why are so many developers so stressed?Is it even worth learning to code in 2025?Michael...
#245 - What Developers Get Wrong About Interviews
05 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
I spent a few years as an engineering manager, and my buddy Zubin, a former Google engineer, is currently hiring developers at his company. Between th...
#244 - From Zero to Software Engineer After 30: My Journey and What You Need to Know
02 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ever feel like you missed your chance to break into tech? That 30 marks some invisible deadline for career reinvention? I've been there—and I&a...
#243 - The 70% Problem: When AI Coding Falls Short
29 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when software engineers rely too heavily on AI-assisted coding tools? Brian and Zubin (an ex-Google engineer) dive deep into what they ca...
#242 - How Anne Got a Developer Job WITHOUT LinkedIn or LeetCode
26 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when a music educator with performance anxiety decides to become a software developer?Anne discovered coding through The Odin Project and...
#241 - The Bootcamp Era Is Dead — And That’s Great News for Developers
22 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
AI didn’t kill bootcamps — shallow learning did.So what skills actually matter now that building a CRUD app is a commodity?And can you learn them ...
#240 - Navigating the Front-End Landscape: A Senior Developer's Perspective on AI Tools, Front End interviews and What Makes You "Senior"
19 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Yasemin, a senior front-end developer with a decade of experience, shares insights on career progression in front-end development and how the transiti...
#239 - Is Learning to Code Still Worth It? A Senior Developer's Perspective
15 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Chris, a mentee at Parsity was feeling a bit down and asked me straight up what I think about the future of coding careers.I had to really think about...
#238 - My Experience in Vibe Coding Hell
12 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A rant on the myth of developer productivity with AI and my experience in vibe coding hell with a team of senior engineers.- Why Vibe Coding is great ...
#237 - Don't Learn to Code for the Money, But If You Do...
08 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You want to learn to code because you want more money. Let's just be honest about it.First off - there are many other ways to make a desirable in...
#236 - Developer Internships: The Good, The Bad, and The “Wait, They Threw Out My Code?”
05 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What’s it really like to go from coding alone to working on a real dev team? Dean Fox shares his raw experience navigating TypeScript, Git, team dy...
#235: 2 Skills You Don't Need Anymore In the AI Era and 3 More You're Going to Need
01 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The developer landscape is shifting. Fast.AI isn’t replacing developers—it’s replacing the kind of developer that only knows how to write boiler...
#234 - Coding Isn’t Enough: 3 Weird Traits That Predict Success in Tech
28 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What separates successful tech career changers from those who struggle?After switching careers into tech at 31 following years of addiction, and mento...
#233 - How Mindi Navigated ADHD, Bootcamp Burnout, and Landed a Dev Role
24 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We cover:Why even smart, driven people need help when learning to codeWhat ADHD looks like as a software engineer—and how she manages itHow burnout ...
#232 - The Harsh Truth About Coding, AI, Bootcamps, and Breaking in to Tech
21 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Think you need a CS degree to get hired? That bootcamps are scams? That AI is making developers obsolete? In this episode, I share some very hot take...
#231 - Roasting A Listener's Resume, LinkedIn and GitHub Profile
17 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A listener, Andrew, was kind enough to send me his resume, LinkedIn and GitHub profile for me to roast.Overall - he did a good job BUT there are some ...
#230 - AI Will Replace Most Coding: What Chief Scientist Laly Bar-Ilan Says Developers Should Learn Next
14 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Laly Bar-Ilan has been working in AI and natural language processing for over two decades—long before it was trendy. She’s now the Chief Scientist...
#229 - The 2025 Tech Job Market Sucks? Here's How You Beat It
10 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The job market in 2025 feels broken—and you’re not imagining it. AI-generated spam is clogging recruiter inboxes, resumes are becoming less rele...
#228 - The 3 Stages of Learning Javascript: What to Build && What to Learn
07 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
No one said it would be easy.If you're having trouble learning JS, you're not alone.I nearly quit coding when I had to learn JS. I even con...
#227 - How Busy Professionals Can Learn to Code (Without Losing Their Minds): A 3 Step Process
03 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ever feel like learning to code is impossible with your packed schedule?You're not alone. Ten years ago, I was juggling parenting two kids, work...
Special Episode: Answering Fan Mail
01 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever sent a message into the void? That's exactly what's been happening to listeners who've tried to contact me through Buzzsp...
#226 - New Coders Can't Code?
31 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The rise of AI coding tools has fundamentally changed how people learn programming, creating a concerning trend: developers who can produce impressive...
#225 - The 3-Month Coding Bootcamp Myth: 4 Things You Actually Need to Get Hired
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Thinking about joining a coding bootcamp to land a job in three months? Let’s get real. I’ve been coding professionally for over a decade, and w...
#224 - How Jeremy Went From Tutorial Hell to Front End Developer at Apple
24 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jeremy spoke with a couple mentees at Parsity which led to a conversation where I learned about his unusual (and long) journey into software.If you&ap...
#224 - Should You Still Learn JavaScript in 2025?
20 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
With the rise of AI and Python’s dominance, is JavaScript still worth learning?In this episode, I break down why JavaScript remains the best startin...
#223 - AI for JavaScript Developers: What You Actually Need to Know
17 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
I started off 2025 knowing jack sh*t about LLMs besides how to ask Chat-GPT questions.Since then, I've built a multi-agent app for work, learned ...
Has Cursor Cooked Junior Developers for Good?
13 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Cursor is an AI-powered text editor for coders. Let me be honest - if I was a junior developer, I'd feel a little nervous looking at what it&apos...