A CS Education That's Free Until You Get a Job - Austen Allred of Lambda School

TL;DR

Austin Allred, CEO of Lambda School, discusses the challenges and successes of the online coding school and remote work, emphasizing the need for confidence, market inefficiencies in measuring product quality, and the potential for future expansion into other fields like nursing.

Transcript

all right so today we have Austin Allred he is the CEO of lambda school which was in the summer 2017 batch and lambda school is ACS education that is free until you get a job so Austin what I wanted to ask you about you mentioned this on a few podcasts that I've listened to you on and basically there's this core idea in lambda school that you have ... Read More

Key Insights

• 💡 The key insights from the provided content are as follows:
• The biggest challenge for Lambda School is encouraging students to apply and overcome impostor syndrome.
• Lambda School aims to make education accessible and affordable for everyone, regardless of their financial situation or background.
• The school offers part-time programs and plans to offer living stipends to make education more accessible for those who can't afford to leave their job.
• The admission process focuses on a pre-course work as a major selection mechanism to determine a student's potential success.
• Lambda School's business model is a combination of providing a quality educational experience and helping students find employment, rather than just relying on the income-sharing agreement.
• The belief is that the traditional college path is not always the best route to success and that the education system needs to evolve.
• Lambda School is expanding into other areas with high-demand job markets, such as nursing, to address labor shortages.
• The goal of Lambda School is to set students up for success by providing a supportive and engaging online learning experience, as well as help with networking and job placement.
• The CEO acknowledges that remote work has its challenges and that it may not be suitable for every company, but believes in the potential of remote education and remote teams.
• The market struggles to measure and quantify product quality accurately, which often leads to underestimating its importance. Taste and subtlety play a significant role in developing a successful product.

Questions & Answers

Q: How does Lambda School encourage students to overcome their fear and apply for jobs after graduation?

Lambda School recognizes the challenge of impostor syndrome and procrastination among students. They have implemented mechanisms to encourage early job applications and boost confidence. Once students start applying, they often get hired quickly, which reinforces their capabilities.

Q: Is Lambda School only accessible to rich individuals who can afford to leave their jobs and commit full-time to a program?

No, Lambda School offers part-time programs in addition to the full-time option. They are also working on providing living stipends to make education more affordable and accessible to a wider range of students.

Q: What are the main challenges in the admissions process for Lambda School?

The main challenge is convincing qualified individuals to overcome societal pressure and apply for Lambda School. Many people believe that college is the only path to success, even though this is not always the case. Lambda School aims to change this perception and help individuals realize their potential.

Q: What is the acceptance rate for Lambda School?

The acceptance rate is approximately 25%, although this percentage may have changed since the interview. The selection process is primarily based on how well applicants perform in the pre-course work, which is more challenging now but remains a significant factor in the admissions decision.

Q: How does Lambda School navigate the potential risk of false positives or false negatives in the admissions process?

Lambda School aims to assess the mental intelligence and work ethic of applicants. While there is always a chance of false positives or false negatives, the pre-course work and data analysis help evaluate the potential success of students. The goal is to determine if applicants are of average mental intelligence and willing to put in the effort to succeed.

Q: What inspired the idea of providing free education until students find a job at Lambda School?

The CEO, Austin Allred, observed the significant discrepancy in opportunity between rural areas and cities like San Francisco. He realized that many individuals in rural areas had the same capabilities and intelligence but lacked access to better employment opportunities. The goal of Lambda School is to bridge this gap and provide equal opportunities to all, regardless of their financial situation.

Q: Are there plans to expand Lambda School into other fields apart from coding?

While not confirmed, Austin Allred mentioned the possibility of expanding into nursing due to the shortage of nurses in the job market. Lambda School looks at labor market shortages and aims to fill those gaps. Nursing is just one example, but there could be other fields that Lambda School taps into in the future.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Lambda School focuses on helping students gain confidence to apply for jobs and overcome impostor syndrome.

• The school has experimented with different models, including part-time programs and living stipends, to make education more accessible.

• The admissions process is focused on identifying qualified individuals who are often hesitant to apply due to societal pressure to attend traditional universities.