Pipedrive’s School of Code: from bits and bytes to algorithm avenue
Pipedrive’s School of Code is a three-month-long program designed for people with little-to-no experience in software development but motivated to start a career in IT. Sounds like an impossible mission? Challenge accepted! Egle Tannenberg and Annabel Pugi, two participants from the first season, share their personal experiences about a summer internship like no other.
But first, let’s start from the very beginning. At the end of 2020, Vista Equity Partners, a leading global investment firm, made a majority investment in Pipedrive, and the company reached unicorn status. Around that time, Pipedrive started to rethink its hiring practices. One of the prominent cases was how the company hired a junior software developer who had earned his Bachelor’s degree in art. Interested in software development and motivated to start a career in IT, he studied the field on his own. He showed outstanding results at work, and the leadership team realized that if Pipedrive took people with high potential under its wings, they might progress even faster. Upon learning that Vista Equity Partners also practices investing in talent through hiring, development and empowering new joiners, it gave the needed confidence boost to explore the opportunity.
For years, Pipedrive has had an outstanding onboarding process and buddy program for new joiners. It’s not only about getting to know the company and the product; It’s about making junior software engineers feel comfortable in their new role, getting a glimpse of company culture and helping them reach their full potential as fast as possible. The friendly and supportive system has worked out well for the company and the new joiners. One day, software developer and engineering learning and development lead Mykhailo Dorokhov conversed with a fellow engineering manager at Pipedrive’s Tartu office. Suddenly, an idea emerged — what if we took the onboarding process further and started a streamlined program to discover future tech talent and help them launch a career in IT? Fast forward two years, and Pipedrive’s School of Code was born.
Hello School of Code, hello world
Mykhailo started developing the curriculum for Pipedrive’s School of Code. The three-month program was designed for people with little-to-no software development experience and with a strong motivation to start a career in IT. Under the guidance of two experienced mentors, with Mykhailo as one of them, the program comprises two months of creative study and one-month hands-on work experience. In addition to learning programming basics, databases, back-end and front-end development, project management and DevOps, the internship and mentoring program enables participants to practice teamwork and collaboration and solve tech problems as close to actual work experience as possible.
The pilot program was launched in the summer of 2022. Out of 241 applicants, Pipedrive invited 11 people to embark on a brand new journey and take their very first steps in the tech world. Among other people, Egle Tannenberg and Annabel Pugi joined the adventure called School of Code. Little did they know that the experience was just the beginning of greater things to come.
“I have always been interested in software development. As a kid, I wanted to learn how to build web pages, and we started making them with my sister. Then I learned programming a little bit in high school. Still, I decided to major in International Studies and Business Administration and started a career in financial auditing. But I still had an interest in software development. When I saw the opportunity at Pipedrive, I knew I had to seize it,” explains Egle how she discovered the program.
“I loved the balance between theoretical and practical approaches and how tasks were often connected with real-life examples or tools actually used at Pipedrive. Mykhailo is a great mentor. He is so friendly and warm, and even if he provided feedback, he did it constructively and encouraged us to think about alternative solutions. He explained everything so well; his superpower is connecting theoretical knowledge with practical examples from everyday life. Our days were very busy during School of Code, but I enjoyed finishing each day, knowing that I had learned something new again. And spending time with my peers at Pipedrive’s beautiful and creative office was awesome,” recalls Egle.
One plus one makes three
Annabel couldn’t agree more with Egle’s perspective. “We learned a lot about programming through games and creative tasks. Pipedrive’s School of Code was an exciting and fun journey at the same time. As a mentor, Mykhailo was supportive and always ensured that everyone was on track with all the classes and tasks. I also liked that he broke all the topics into smaller logical parts, making learning easier and more productive,” explains Annabel.
Annabel’s connection with Pipedrive is somewhat unique. In high school, she was interested in a career in software development. Approximately a year before joining the School of Code, her school organized a job-shadowing day. Unfortunately, it was canceled due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Annabel’s dad encouraged her to contact Pipedrive’s engineering manager Mikk Mangus. Despite all odds, she had the exclusive opportunity to job-shadow him for one day. Fast forward several months, Annabel’s dad saw an article in a local Estonian newspaper that Pipedrive would launch the School of Code to find future tech talent. Not giving it too much thought, Annabel applied for a spot in the program and successfully graduated from it. Today, she works as a junior software engineer at Pipedrive — you’ve probably guessed it right, she’s right back where everything started, and she is now in Mikk’s engineering team. Sometimes, one plus one actually makes three.
The last month of the School of Code was dedicated to a huge hands-on project, following the tribes and missions framework that Pipedrive has adopted. The participants were divided into two, and Annabel’s group started to build a plugin tool for Slack, an internal messaging app that the company uses in its everyday work. “I was the mission lead. Honestly, at first, I was a little bit scared since I was the group’s youngest member. But I learned a lot through the process, and each mistake taught me a valuable lesson. I now know it’s possible to become a software engineer in just three months. The formula for success is straightforward — if you are eager to learn, ready to work hard and determined to reach your goals, then nothing is impossible. A little bit of patience doesn’t hurt either — I learned that making mistakes is natural and it’s okay to take time for practicing and understanding things better,” explains Annabel.
Welcome to algorithm avenue
Armed with hands-on experience, both Annabel and Egle now work at Pipedrive. “I was so excited to join Pipedrive as a full-time software developer. In the beginning, I had many questions and needed more support from my team members. Luckily, I had a very supportive buddy and could always rely on them when I needed help. But I’ve learned that being a detective and researching to find the right solution is a natural part of the job. Even experienced developers ask for advice from other team members,” reflects Egle on her past eight months as a Pipedriver.
Annabel joined the team a few weeks ago and said it felt like she was returning home. “After some time, it’s wonderful to see how the company has changed during the past months and what has remained the same. I wouldn’t be here without the School of Code — it served as a great kickstarter for getting to know the basics of programming. Now my scope of work is broader, and there’s still a lot to learn, but thanks to the internship, I now know that software development is the right career choice for me,” explains Annabel.
Annabel’s and Egle’s advice on how to take the most out of learning software development (and Pipedrive’s School of Code!)
- Remember that nobody expects you to know everything. The formula for success lies in paying attention, participating actively and asking questions.
- Focusing on finding the solution and thinking positively about the process is half the battle.
- Make notes about everything, even if they seem simple or trivial. It’s okay not to know or remember everything, but making notes is a great technique to train your memory and refresh what you have already learned in school.
- Save your projects to GitHub. It’s a useful trick to record everything you have learned in the program, and it serves as a great source of inspiration to find solutions.
- Have an open mindset and actively communicate with your peers. Always give a hand to others if you can, and don’t be afraid to ask for help if needed. This way, the learning process is smoother and more useful for each participant.
This year, Pipedrive’s School of Code will take place in Tartu from September 11 to December 17, 2023. Are you interested in a spot in the program? Read more about the program here and send us your application by July 31.
