Karat Stick Podcast EP 2
“Learn to code” began as legitimate career advice for boys perceived to be more interested in the computer science lab than dating. It has since evolved into a complex cultural trope, seasoned by decades of oscillating public opinion.
In the 90s and early 2000’s, anyone could learn to code, so we were told by people who didn’t. The dot com boom was finally bearing financial fruit which fueled the demand for coders capable of programing money out of thin air. From homeless people to out of work coal miners, all processed the prerequisites. “Learn to code” was now an industry slogan.
But reality weighs truer than false promises. Alas, the West Virginian coal miners could not understand python and we were forced to reconcile that coding is not for everyone. A new modern cynicism was assimilated into the slogan which now carried a new, darker meaning.
We have been informed by futurists that the relevance of coding skills is waning, so we’re still trying to figure out is “learn to code” can even retain its current glib suggestion. Never mind that these ‘futurists’ are often talented coders with a vested interest in protecting market share worth billions, perhaps trillions of dollars. Yeah, surely that can’t be a reason to mislead….
I sit down with Tim Mecklem, Managing Partner of Launch Scout, to get a lay of the land and peer into the frontier of software development. Tim has decades of experience building custom software from the ground up, Launch Scout’s specialty. Needless to say, he sits at ground zero of the current AI disruption bomb we hear so much about.
We learn what it takes to be a coder and how he found his passion for the work, a genesis story that involves a literal childhood nightmare. We later learn how AI is shaping the industry and what incumbents and newcomers alike should be doing to maintain their edge.
Most importantly, Tim shares the values that drive him to excel in his work despite the uncertainty. While it would be natural for a person in such a situation to be frothing with anxiety, he exudes confidence and excitement for what’s to come.
It’s a refreshing take that challenges some of the assumptions made by generic media outlets. There’s something here for everyone to learn, even if you’re like me and can’t code any better than a coal miner.
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