How to Win at Learning ft. Quincy Larson | S02 E11

Backend Banter

In this episode, we sit down with Quincy Larson, founder of Free Code Camp, to explore his incredible path from high school dropout to influential tech educator. Quincy shares his unconventional journey — from living in his car and working fast food jobs to building one of the most impactful coding education platforms in the world.

We discuss the power of self-learning, the evolution of coding education, and the philosophy behind building meaningful skills. Quincy also dives into his productivity habits, structured routines, and why he prioritizes lifelong learning over traditional memories.

Lane's interview on Free Code Camp: https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/getting-a-developer-job-lane-wagner-podcast-157/

Free Code Camp podcast playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDLDCm3bPfU&list=PLWKjhJtqVAbm04DK8TSUCRheRjW2P9TR7

Learn back-end development: boot.dev

Listen on your favorite podcast player: backendbanter.fm

Follow Quincy on X/Twitter: @ossia

Free Code Camp: freecodecamp.org

Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro and Meeting Quincy

01:05 - Running a charity

03:58 - Getting deep into podcasts

11:58 - Quincy's lifestyle

17:47 - The Birth of Free Code Camp

25:47 - What has freecodecamp been working on

27:40 - Building Skills vs. Chasing Shortcuts

30:20 - How to Stand Out in Today's Tech Job Market

50:44 - What changed since Quincy wrote his book

54:06 - Obligatory AI talk

1:12:01 - Where to find Quincy

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