There’s nothing new about the coding bootcamp craze that’s been sweeping Boston for the past few years. For some time now, companies like Startup Institute and General Assembly have been training techie hopefuls so they can launch their coding careers. But these programs aren’t for everyone, as different people have varying motivations to learn code - not just to get on the dev career track.
So what about the people who don’t necessarily want to become developers for companies, but would rather just learn how to build that product they’ve been envisioning for ages? Where do they go to learn code?
Code Undercover, a startup based in Cambridge, is the newest breed of coding bootcamp and it’s geared toward this project-driven demographic of students.
The company, which has primarily been building apps for clients, has organically evolved over the past nine months to now offer personalized, project-specific coding programs for people. Phil Greenwald, Code Undercover’s Founder and CEO, explained that in addition to the startup’s consulting services, they began to organize workshops for students at universities around Boston like Tufts, Boston College and Harvard.
“We teach you in a way that lets you build the idea you always had, but could never carry out.”
One student at MIT caught wind of the company’s workshops and wanted to partake, but couldn’t because Code Undercover wasn’t hosting workshops for that school. That’s when they came up with the idea of offering one-on-one tutoring programs that are completely designed around each student’s specific project. Over the course of 20 to 30 sessions - each lasting an hour - Code Undercover will teach people how to build out the functionalities they need to create a viable product.
“The syllabus of the program is custom-tailored to each student and the product they want to build,” Greenwald told me. "No two syllabi are ever the same."
Education and execution
Greenwald explained that their program differs greatly from most general coding accelerators available.
“We teach you in a way that lets you build the idea you always had, but could never carry out,” he started. "We give students the ability to execute. Other bootcamps don’t make sense for people who already know they want to build something specific.”
“We’re there to help that person who’s been out there searching for a tech co-founder for months because they don’t know how to build their product,” Greenwald continued. "A lot of times, they’re forced to sit on their idea because they can’t find one. But we change that and allow them to become their own tech co-founder.”
Invest less in more
Another benefit of Code Undercover? It’s a fraction of the cost of broader bootcamps. In fact, it costs about the same as outsourcing developer projects overseas - and it gives you more value.
“From anywhere between $2K and $4K, students can 1. learn to code and 2. build a product,” Greenwald said. "It’s about the same price as outsourcing to somewhere like India or Romania to build their products, but with fewer risks involved. Plus, students walk away knowing their code base and having the skills to be able to make minor modifications or totally change the direction of their product.”
“The investment is so small and so much more personal than with other coding programs,” he added. "The motivation is much more intrinsic with our students. They’re not looking to take a bootcamp in the hopes of getting a coding job and making a higher salary. They want to finally make their product a reality."
