Should You Attend a Coding Bootcamp?

As a former bootcamp instructor and a former bootcamp student, I believe I have a unique perspective to this question.

A quick summary. Only attend a bootcamp if:

You've done your due diligence on the bootcamp and know that they are selective about who they accept.
You are so adequately prepared that you can get into any bootcamp with ease.

What do you get by enrolling in a coding bootcamp?

Full disclosure, I'm a graduate of a coding bootcamp, and while I didn't go directly into the job search right after graduation, I ultimately ended up getting a job in industry as a software engineer. My first job was at Sony working on the entertainment division, and my second job is where I'm at now, which is Google.

If I were being completely honest, I don't know how else I would have made it into industry at the speed that I did had I not attended a coding bootcamp.

What makes coding bootcamps special is the time commitment and price tag, and I fundamentally see both of these things as a positive aspect of coding bootcamps.

Some people view the steep price tag as an inhibitor because the materials can be found elsewhere for much cheaper or even free. I choose to see it differently. I see the price tag as an enabler for getting you to commit your time and energy to your studies.

It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking the knowledge taught at a coding bootcamp can be found elsewhere for cheap or free so therefore it's not worth it. Would you purchase a coding bootcamp's curriculum in a PDF, with a daily schedule and all of its details, for the price of the bootcamp (say $20k)? What if it were half of the cost? $10k is still a ludicrous cost for a PDF.

What's going on here? The knowledge you get from a bootcamp is not what you're paying for. We don't learn by just consuming information.

As far as I know, no coding bootcamp curriculum is so special and proprietary that it's worth paying $20,000 dollars for.

So what justifies the cost?

There's a large spectrum of things money can buy and it's important to be cognizant of where something like an education at a coding bootcamp lands on this spectrum. Some examples:

Money can be used to buy time. You can hire a babysitter or a house cleaner to free up some of your time.
You can also use money to invest in an education. Traditional educational institutions like college and newer institutions like coding bootcamps are an example of this.
You can also use money as a commitment device. Backing a decision with a high price tag is an incredibly effective way to stay committed to something.
You can also use money to join a network or community of like-minded individuals. This is equivalent to purchasing social accountability.

The money you pay for a coding bootcamp checks off all four of these boxes:

It forces you to free up your schedule
It gives you a guideposts and a roadmap to navigate your learning
You stay committed
Provides a community

The core offering of a full-time immersive bootcamp is its optimal learning environment.

There's no denying that more flexible options like part-time programs and self-study are more attractive for someone looking for various options that accommodate their needs. But if you're looking to break into industry in the quickest way possible, being able to focus full time on studying is the foundation. I should caveat the word "quick" in that it typically means something like 6 to 12 months to account for a commitment to self-study and preparation, the duration of the program, and the job search.

I went to Hack Reactor, where the commitment was 11 hours a day 5 days a week, and 9 hours on Saturdays for a total duration of 12 weeks. This kind of commitment is pretty insane if there isn't some outlined structure to what you're doing.

I wouldn't even know where to begin if given 64 hours a week to self study something I was new at, and I would probably be doubting myself on whether the path I determined was the best way to go about it. This is a common problem when self-studying. I would also have a difficult time staying committed with no community around me and no social environment to thrive within.

I faced all of these problems when I was starting out on my coding journey.

The cost of a bootcamp helps get rid of all of these issues.

It forces you to commit 64 hours a week. It gives you a guided step-by-step to take you from where you start all the way to building projects with other people. It forces you to set aside other stuff in your life. All because you simply wouldn't want to waste that kind of money. It just hurts too much.

Coding bootcamps are effective because it costs so much. Its cost is a key feature.

Be Prepared

I've talked very highly of coding bootcamps, but don't go enrolling in one just yet. I don't think this decision should be made lightly, and I don't think you should jump into a program prematurely.

The proper way to attend one of these coding bootcamps is to be so well prepared for the bootcamp through self study and prep programs that you are way ahead of anyone else looking to join the program. This ensures you'll succeed in the program, and gives you the confidence necessary to take on the job search.

So should you attend a coding bootcamp?

I'm a strong advocate for coding bootcamps. I think the top quality programs do exactly what they are supposed to do. However, I don't encourage or push anyone to attend one without personally vetting their abilities. This is because I don't think coding bootcamps do a good enough job vetting their prospects.

Ultimately, bootcamps need to stay afloat as a business and having the cash flow to cover their operating expenses is their number one priority, not necessarily to look out for the best interest of every single person attending the bootcamp. There's nothing inherently wrong about this. It's what's necessary to run a business.

Not all bootcamps are created equally. You should only apply to the ones that are highly selective. This will ensure you are surrounded by motivated peers, which is one of the main attractive qualities of attending a bootcamp.

The quality of the community you immerse yourself in matters. Stay away from any bootcamps that accept anyone because no barrier to entry means:

You'll be surrounded by unmotivated peers.
You'll be surrounded by unqualified peers.
The bootcamp is likely not being held accountable for their outcomes.

Don't let the bootcamp acceptance be a sign that you are optimally prepared. You must be better prepared than the lowest possible bar to get into the program. There's a big difference in being prepared enough to get in, and being prepared enough that you'll undoubtedly thrive and do well.

The likelihood of you breaking into industry as a software engineer is directly affected by your strategy for navigating your studies. Being highly prepared for the bootcamp of your choice is a key element of this strategy. Constantly playing "catch up" is not conducive for high speed learning.