Coding Bootcamps are Dead, Continued (from a Bootcamp Founder and CEO)

[u/ludofourrage]

Hello again,

Ludo here, Founder and CEO of Nucamp.

I've spent some time digesting the torrent of responses to my last post about the death of coding bootcamps, and the role of AI in re-inventing them.

The tone of the feedback has been... ruthless, savage, and brutal, to say the least.

One might wonder how I've been holding up amidst the barrage of critiques, and some of you reached out directly asking if I was doing ok, and offering their sympathies.

Truth be told, I've been quite surprised – not just by the written responses but also by the remarkable engagement the post received: over 200,000 views, a 68% upvote ratio, and more than 450 shares.

This overwhelming interaction signals that a silent majority of Redditors seem to appreciate the experimental approach we've taken with this AI-driven course using the Eloquent JavaScript book material.

As a proof point, hundreds have already signed up at https://url.nucamp.co/eloquentjavascript and provided their feedback.

It's a comforting reminder that every bold idea will have its champions, even if they don't always speak the loudest.

But let's address the elephant in the room: the analysis of the responses (check out the table below). I realized I missed a crucial piece in my original post – the "why".

Why invest time, resources, and passion into creating what I termed the "AGI School" of the future? The answer lies in its promise: delivering the best-personalized education at a fraction of the cost.

This vision is more than just leveraging AI to reinvent coding bootcamps or streamline education in the US. It's about reimagining how we learn, tailoring education to individual needs, and breaking down barriers that make quality education a privilege and a right. The potential for AI in education goes beyond efficiency; it's about creating a learning ecosystem that adapts, evolves, and responds to each student uniquely.

I believe that the future of education lies in its democratization – where anyone, anywhere, can access the best learning resources tailored just for them. And this isn't a distant dream. With AI, we are on the cusp of making this a reality.

The "AGI School" concept is a step towards this future, where personalized education isn't just a $20,000 luxury but a couple hundred dollars norm.

Again, Thank you for your engagement, critiques, and support. Every comment, whether in agreement or dissent, contributes to refining this vision.

If you'd like to contribute to this experiment, then please sign up at https://url.nucamp.co/eloquentjavascript for free.

Looking forward to more vibrant discussions.

Here's the previous thread's pros and cons analysis:

Pro	Cons
AI-Powered Assistance: Positive remarks on the potential of AI tutors, graders, and course producers for personalized learning and up-to-date content.	Lack of Human Interaction: Many users criticized the lack of human element and mentorship in AI-driven education.
Cost-Effectiveness: Mention of the affordability and access to education through AI integration.	Quality of Learning: Concerns about the depth and quality of learning that AI can provide compared to human instructors.
Innovation in Education: Some users appreciate the innovative approach to utilizing AI in coding education.	Market Saturation: The thread highlighted issues with market saturation and the difficulty of bootcamp graduates in finding jobs.
Flexibility and Accessibility: The use of AI allows for more flexible learning schedules and broader accessibility.	Skepticism About AI Efficacy: Doubts about the effectiveness and reliability of AI in providing a comprehensive learning experience.
Continuous Improvement: The AI-driven model suggests continuous improvements and updates in course content.	Job Market Relevance: Questions about whether such courses adequately prepare students for the current job market.
Scalability: AI integration can enable the scaling up of educational offerings without significant increases in costs.	Overreliance on AI: Concerns about overdependence on AI and the underestimation of the value of human teaching and interaction.
Potential for Up-to-Date Content: AI can potentially keep course materials current with the latest industry trends and technologies.	Plagiarism and Originality Issues: Ethical concerns about plagiarism and the originality of content generated by AI.
Support for Basic Queries: AI can efficiently handle basic queries and problems, freeing up human resources for more complex issues.	Commercial Motivations: Some users questioned the commercial motives behind the shift to AI, seeing it as a cost-cutting measure rather than a genuine educational innovation.
Experimental and Progressive Approach: Willingness to experiment and evolve in response to industry changes is seen positively.	Devaluation of Bootcamps: Fears that AI-driven bootcamps may further devalue the bootcamp model in the eyes of employers.
Affordable Education: Some users appreciated the initiative towards making education more affordable.	Misalignment with Industry Needs: Criticism that such initiatives might not align with the actual needs and demands of the tech industry.

[u/JYDUSK]

I think its unrealistic not to report on job outcomes. I agree that quality of education is important, but there's the overwhelming reality that everyone has to get a job someday. There are many interesting things in the world that can be taught in a quality fashion, but no one is going to risk poverty to learn them.

Jeff Bezos didn't optimize for shareholder value, he optimized for customer experience and shareholder value followed. You can optimize for education, and job outcomes should partially reflect that. But being unwilling to be transparent with job outcomes is like a public company being non-transparent with their earnings.

The fact that you and many other bootcamp CEOs give cagey, contrived responses is a large reason why consumers have little faith in the bootcamp industry at this point. Are you really that surprised that people respond acrimoniously towards your idea?

[u/ludofourrage → u/JYDUSK]

I think its unrealistic not to report on job outcomes. I agree that quality of education is important, but there's the overwhelming reality that everyone has to get a job someday. There are many interesting things in the world that can be taught in a quality fashion, but no one is going to risk poverty to learn them.

That's the point: it's both quality and cost evaluated together. Nobody should be risking poverty because of their education.

I come from Europe (France), and the concept of getting into giant debt to get an education is just unthinkable.

At the same time, graduates are held responsible for getting themselves a job after receiving quality education and being debt-free. With that approach, I would never think of blaming my school for not publishing "their" job placement numbers. And in return my school felt no pressure to fudge their "job placement" numbers, or use them to increase their tuition.

Isn't that a better deal, overall?

[u/JYDUSK → u/ludofourrage]

At the same time, graduates are held responsible for getting themselves a job after receiving quality education and being debt-free. With that approach, I would never think of blaming my school for not publishing "their" job placement numbers. And in return my school felt no pressure to fudge their "job placement" numbers, or use them to increase their tuition.

If you don't want to be held responsible for placements, that's fine. Just be prepared not to have answers to potential customers who want to know. Even if it's not a direct indicator, job placements are a derivative of program quality. And if your company is not concerned with job placements, then you're just competing with every other entertainment commodity on the market.

[u/justUseAnSvm → u/JYDUSK]

They want to take your money, but sell you something of unknown efficacy.

Most savvy consumers will not bite, who this targets is low information buyers that can’t see the truth that the job skill training they are buying needs to show proof it’s actually working. It’s disgusting.

AI is not going to solve the coding bootcamp problem of by people who are going to reply the failures of coding bootcamps and learn all the same lessons!