teaching software development - darrell silver from thinkful

Software engineering school

@darrellsilver

Why we exist

Student debt

2.5x in 20 years

Why we exist

Un- and under-employmentabove 10%

500,000 Current job openings in

technical fields, but no one to fill them.

Why we exist

Lifelong learning“I expect to have a

new career every 10 years”

Why we exist

● Like vocational schools but for white collar jobs.

● Promise a job within a year● Tuition paid within a year or

two of increased salary of a new career

A new trend toward ROI-based education

How Thinkful teaches

Feedback and support

1-on-1

Technology keeps you on pace &

connected

Build real projects

Thinkful mentors

● Founded in 2012● 350+ mentors● 7,000 students

Thinkful students

Average age: 30

Thinkful students

Employed while enrolled

Why we teach 1-on-1

Remember more & learn faster

When we started

We assumed these would be hard

We assumed these would be easy

✓Finding mentors✓Competing with

algos✓Competing with

in-person schools

✓Building curriculum

✓Hiring for empathy

✓Is it working???

1. Sharing knowledge with others2. Improve skills through teaching3. Gain experience as a teacher4. Watching your students succeed5. …6. …7. Earn money

Why mentors do it

Thinkful mentors are successful

The future of higher education

Slowing Growing✓4 years for a BA

(and $$$)✓School then career✓Student debt from

government

✓2 or 3 years; less $$

✓Lifelong learning✓Companies pay for

better training

Who pays??

1.Companies2.Government loans3.Prices go down4.Childhood ed make us

obsolete

The future of bootcamps

Similar to Thinkful

Software engineering school

@darrellsilver