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Back to Austen Allred of Lambda School, with Austen Allred.

Why Couldn't Austen Allred Quit Lambda School?

He did not see another option. On the Y Combinator podcast, Craig Cannon asks Austen Allred, cofounder and CEO of Lambda School, whether he wanted to quit early on. Allred says there was never a point he wanted to stop, and that he would do the work forever even for minimum wage. His explanation for that kind of stubbornness is blunt. Founders in that spot do not have a backup plan. They figure it out or they die, and that pressure is a powerful motivator. Lambda School, from Y Combinator's summer 2017 batch, taught computer science and charged nothing until the student got a job.

Transcript

Austen Allred of Lambda School ·

Y Combinator

More from this episode

  1. Who Is Austen AllredAusten Allred is the CEO and Co-founder of Lambda School, a Y Combinator company that gives you a Computer Science education for free, until you get a job, at…
  2. How Do You Encourage People to Do Something They Are Scared to DoHighest level activity one can have is inspiring other humans to do their best. Massive imposter syndrome often prevents people from taking a leap.
  3. Is Lambda School and Computer Science Work Just for Rich PeopleNot at all. In fact, one of the hardest thing for Lambda is to convince people who qualify to apply. Often case people don't recognize they have what it takes.
  4. Why Do People Choose College Over Code SchoolsColleges do a great job marketing their programs, and our society in the last couple of decades come to believe that if you go to college and get a degree you…
  5. What Inspired Austen Allred to Start Lambda SchoolAftering living in rural Utah and then moving to San Francisco, Austen saw that places with less access to work have just as many qualified talent, but this…
  6. How Do Help Code Camp Graduates Benefit From the Same Network Value That College Graduates GetCode camps are shorter so you won't be stuck studying for years on end.
  7. Is There Value in Traditional Liberal Arts EducationAbsolutely. There is value in liberal arts. You might not have to do it within the walls of a University though.
  8. What Are Some Reasons Why a Funding Round for a Startup Might FailSometimes a VC, after doing months of due-diligence, would pull the rug and not fund you.
  9. How Can You Turn a Startup Failure Into a SuccessWhile working for his previous company, Austen wrote a few blog posts on growth marketing.
  10. How Much Can I Get PaidIf you can measure how much you are worth, it would be easier to leverage the pay you deserve.
  11. Is There a Ceiling to How High a Salary Can GoNo, it's whatever you can negotiate. Just because someone is getting paid X does not mean you cannot negotiate 2x or 3x that.
  12. Are There Non-tech Opportunities to Train EmployeesYes, there are many areas where employers are willing to pay a lot of money because of the shortage of labor.
  13. Why Did Lambda Succeed Online When Other Bootcamps Failed?Existing bootcamps tried to solve online with the same tools they were teaching offline.
  14. Why Are Some Students Unsuccessful in Completing Their EducationIt seems that traditional educational models assume that some students are going to succeed and some will fail, and instead of helping those who might fail…
  15. How Is Lambda School Curriculum Different From a Typical University Computer Science CourseUniversities like to start with fundamentals and build a holistic picture over time. That works for some students, but not all.

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