The Bootcamp Bubble
With news that DevBootcamp will be closing it’s doors at the end of the year, I got around to revisiting my feelings on what I consider a “coding bootcamp bubble” and what I think is likely to happen in the next few years.

At the end of the day, these bootcamps are businesses. Something I notice with some of them — particularly the one I went to, Coding Temple — is the low barrier of entry. Placement tests are easy or non-existant for these bootcamps, resulting in more butts in seats but ultimately a watering-down of output (read: quality students) for the bootcamp itself.
Businesses need revenue and in the case of a coding bootcamp, that revenue is provided by the students. What if the student is of lower quality? What do you do if the student just isn’t cut out for technology but you’re a couple students low on your cohort quota? Business rules would dictate that you admit them as long as they can pay the tab and I think that’s what many of these companies do.
Then these students go through the program, either get a job or don’t. If they don’t, then they become your problem for months because they become emblematic to a degree of the type of professional your company can provide. All because you as an ambassador for your company didn’t take the long-view. I dunno, maybe I’m a little bitter. But there are many reasons why I take such a harsh approach. When you’re attempting to learn and someone who has no business being in a coding bootcamp (and is simply there because they were able to fill the quota) derails the entire lesson for a large chunk of the day because they can’t keep up, these things chip away at the quality of output. A student could end up feeling robbed.

Or if another student who has more experience in a language bitches about assignments being too simple or rudimentary doesn’t have the wherewithal to seek out more complicated projects on their own, morale tends to slump in other students who might still be wrapping their heads around the class material. All in all, it’s a tricky balancing act and not easy to be sure, but I think a better job could be done by some bootcamps not only in their financial structuring, but also with who they admit, things may be tougher in the short term but that bootcamp then becomes adept at churning out high quality students who are of use to their company.
Beyond that, a certain strictness is almost mandatory when it comes to collecting assignments, hard deadlines on projects, and more required hours of attendance. 9–5 ain’t gonna cut it when employers and technical interviews become a part of the conversation. EVERYTHING the student hands in goes on GitHub. Furthermore, the student should be forced to hack their own spin on an assignment and put that up, too. As currently composed, only the minority of bootcamps seem to be adopting this approach.
The curriculum needs to have a central focus and not get distracted with creating students who are half-assing 10 languages or frameworks instead of whole-assing 2 or 3. As the next couple years come and go, don’t be surprised to see bootcamps dying just like DevBootcamp either due to a poor business model or because of some of the issues I’ve listed. While I feel great that I have a cursory knowledge of Python, Django, Flask, JavaScript, Angular 1.x, jQuery, HTML/CSS, SCSS, mySQL, and others… I’d rather be a fucking killer at Python. I bet there are a lot of people who feel the same (albeit with C++, Java, C#, etc).
As these companies die, we will also likely notice a reflection in the industry where companies are less likely to hire bootcampers (or bootcampers from specific “schools”) simply because they can’t hack it after their half-assed 10 week programs. This will lead to less people going to bootcamps overall, and certain ones in particular because the “too good to be true” attitude will prevail. Prospective students will think, “nah, a bootcamp can’t get me employed in the tech field after all” and not bother enrolling.
I’m aware I’m offering a lot of problems and not a lot of solutions. Some solutions are scattered throughout this post.
- Bring in better quality students: Their talent or lackthereof should have a “floor”. If they don’t meet a standard (which should be HIGH, not just building some piss-poor f*cking “about me” website), they’re out — even if they can pay.
- If a student is derailing the lesson for the day, they have to be told as much: One person can’t ruin the potential productivity of a full day because they can’t copy what’s on the projector screen or want to traipse off into some unrelated tangent.
- Longer days: I hate to say it, but 930 to 4 doesn’t cut it. These languages are DEEP. A day shouldn’t be devoted to learning arithmetic in Python. That’s fucking absurd. Any schools out there doing this with a language should be embarrassed and shut down immediately.
- Pare down the curriculum: This was my biggest frustration, and I’ve had conversations with instructors and colleagues about it. Why make someone unhireable in ten languages when you can teach them 3 things that are related in a really good, comprehensive manner? If they demonstrate an understanding in HTML/CSS (which, in my opinion, should be bare minimum before even stepping foot in the classroom), then teach them how to use Python, Django, mySQL/PostgreSQL or even the MEAN Stack to build a functional e-commerce site. Then a functional app. Then maybe some games. Build the cost of some server space into their tuition so they can host this stuff on an actively updating resume/portfolio website. Am I crazy? Is this hard?
Anyway, I’ve been on the soapbox long enough. I am admittedly frustrated at the state of things, but I can’t complain. I’m gainfully employed and on my way to a great career. Not everyone will be so lucky, however. This is for them. It’s also for the bootcamps out there who want to survive. The tech industry is sink or swim, and not just for developers.
