From electrical engineering student to CTO with Hitesh Choudhary [Podcast #175]
1,300"On this week's episode of the podcast, freeCodeCamp founder Quincy Larson interviews former CTO and prolific programming teacher Hitesh Choudhary.
We talk about:
The limits of AI in building a robust codebase
Time management
Higher Education in India
Lessons from training developers
Lessons you've learned from your travel
Support for this podcast comes from a grant from Wix Studio. Wix Studio provides developers tools to rapidly build websites with everything out-of-the-box, then extend, replace, and break boundaries with code. Learn more at https://wixstudio.com/.
Support also comes from the 11,384 kind folks who support freeCodeCamp through a monthly donation. You can join these chill human beings and help our charity's mission by going to https://donate.freecodecamp.org/
Links we talk about during our conversation:
Hitesh's TypeScript course on freeCodeCamp: https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/programming-in-typescript/
Hitesh's project-oriented Appwrite course on freeCodeCamp https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/comprehensive-full-stack-react-with-appwrite-tutorial/
Hitesh's Git course on freeCodeCamp: https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/learn-git-in-detail-to-manage-your-code/
Hitesh's TED talk on time management: • The secrets of modern time management | Hi... "
00:00 - Introduction
00:28 - Current State of AI Coding Tools
02:24 - AI's Role in a Large Codebase
03:12 - Limitations of AI in Large Codebases
04:33 - Economic and Contextual Limitations of LLMs
05:33 - AI's Impact on Tech Stack Choices
06:56 - Hype vs. Reality of AI Coding Agents
07:40 - The "Style" of AI-Generated Code
11:23 - Practical Applications of AI in Development
14:27 - AI in Content Creation
15:40 - Human Oversight in AI-Assisted Coding
16:44 - Encouragement to Learn Coding in the Age of AI
17:25 - Hitesh's Journey to Becoming a Prolific Educator
20:05 - Learnist: Enabling Other Educators
21:44 - Early Life and Educational Struggles in India
23:56 - Transition from Hardware to Software Development
24:27 - Early Programming Languages (Perl, Python)
25:27 - Entry into Cybersecurity and Weekend Lecturing
26:26 - The Rigorous Schedule of a Weekend Lecturer
27:32 - Cross-Cultural Communication and the Art of Teaching
28:34 - The Two Sides of Teaching: Domain Expertise and Pedagogy
29:50 - Transition to iOS Development and Udemy
31:52 - Founding Learnist due to Payment Gateway Issues in India
32:50 - The Acquisition of Learn Code Online and Career as a Director
33:46 - The Motivation Behind "Chai or Code"
34:26 - Balancing Teaching and LMS Operations
35:49 - Computer Science as a Path out of Poverty in India
38:50 - High Drop-Out Rates in Computer Science
39:35 - The Accessibility of Learning Resources and VC-Funded Tools
42:14 - Advice for University Students without Elite Access
45:49 - Building a "Product" Instead of Just a "Project"
47:20 - Clarification on Starting with Beginner Projects
47:49 - Surprising Observations about Higher Education in India
51:15 - The Diminished Value of Master's and PhD Degrees
53:35 - The Dilution of Prestigious University Brands
56:49 - Justifications for University-Company Collaborations
58:49 - The Experience of Tutoring IIT Students
01:09:43 - The Power of Financial Commitment in Learning
01:10:25 - The Misconception of "Courses" vs. "Books"
01:12:33 - Profound Lessons in Time Management
01:17:42 - Message to His Younger Self