Stories from the Hackery

NashviIIe Software School
NashviIIe Software School
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Find out what it takes to start a career in software development, data analytics, data science, or UI/UX design from those who made the leap. Hear from musicians, veterans, single-moms, teachers, bartenders, postdocs, warehouse workers, and more - all graduates of Nashville Software School (NSS) - as they discuss their transition to tech and their capstone projects presented at Demo Day. Founded in 2012, NSS is a flourishing community of over one thousand alumni, active students, and a team of dedicated instructors all working together to grow and learn their craft. As a non-profit, NSS is committed to growing diversity in tech by creating opportunities for under-represented groups in these fields. Learn more at nashvillesoftwareschool.com.

  1. Oct 28

    Career Shift: Healthcare Product Analyst to Data Analyst

    In this episode of Stories from the Hackery, we speak with Asia Mayes, a recent graduate of Nashville Software School’s part-time Data Analytics Cohort 17, about moving from an Excel-heavy data role into more advanced analytics and healthcare tech work. Asia shares how she balanced a full-time job with a six-month program and why NSS’s structured, hands-on classes helped her learn advanced Excel, SQL, Jupyter Notebooks, and GitHub. She explains how these skills are influencing her approach to healthcare data challenges, including speeding up workflows during a software implementation, and how the program helped her “speak the language” of analytics with more confidence. Asia also discusses her growing interest in informatics and offers advice to working professionals considering upskilling, including doing research, choosing the right learning format, and not being discouraged by applications, finances, or grades. 00:33 Meet Asia Mayes 00:54 Why Data Analytics 01:48 Balancing Work and Bootcamp 03:36 Why NSS Structure 04:44 Skills That Clicked 06:05 Applying Skills at Work 08:22 Career Shift to Informatics 10:26 Speaking the Data Language 13:10 Advice for Pros 15:24 Why You Should Apply Now

    Career Shift: Healthcare Product Analyst to Data Analyst

  2. Oct 7

    Career Shift: Audio/Video Production to Software Developer | Stories From The Hackery

    In this episode of Stories from the Hackery, recent NSS full-time, full-stack software development graduate, Kris Cagle, shares his transition from working in podcast AV production to vibe coding his own AI-driven app for musicians (RoadUno) and enrolling in Nashville Software School. He dives into overcoming code review anxiety, how networking at NSS roundtables helped him land a job quickly, and why adaptable problem-solving skills matter more than knowing a single programming language. 00:33 Meet Kris Cagle 00:57 Why Switch to Tech 02:36 Vibe Coding Origins 04:09 Vibe Coding RoadUno 07:26 Code Reviews and Confidence 10:25 Mock Interview Breakthrough 11:27 Career Development Support 14:15 Job Search Strategy 20:18 Networking and Meetups 21:28 Advice for Future Students 24:57 First Weeks on the Job 26:45 Cohort Community and Growth 28:10 Closing Thanks and Outro Links: RoadUno: https://roaduno.com/

    Career Shift: Audio/Video Production to Software Developer | Stories From The Hackery

  3. Oct 7

    Integrating AI into Developer Teams: Lessons from a Developer Advocate | Stories From The Hackery

    What happens when you introduce artificial intelligence to a software development team? Does it fix structural flaws, or does it break things faster? In this episode of Stories from the Hackery, Nashville Software School (NSS) founder John Wark sits down with NSS alumna and former instructor Sydney Noh to discuss AI adoption, developer advocacy, and the realities of modern software engineering. Sydney shares her transition from television production to full-stack engineering, her experience teaching five evening cohorts at NSS, and how she helped build internal developer advocacy roles at Built and FortyAU. From leading company-wide AI training to analyzing codebase health, Sydney breaks down why AI acts as an amplifier for team culture—accelerating success on clean codebases while exposing technical debt on fragile ones. SHOW NOTES: 00:00 - Meet Sydney Noh: Full-Stack Engineer, Tech Educator, and Developer Advocate 01:55 - Her Nashville Story: Transitioning from Television Production to Tech 03:14 - Attending NSS (Cohort 33) and Landing a Developer Role Before Graduation 05:48 - Returning to NSS as a Part-Time Evening Instructor 08:18 - Defining the Internal Developer Advocate Role 20:38 - Creating Opportunity: Writing Documentation & Building a New Role at Built 26:33 - Rolling Out AI Training & Anthropic Certifications at FortyAU 33:23 - The 3-Level AI Training Framework: From LLM Basics to Integrated Workflows 39.31 - Fusion Wednesdays: Discovering Why AI Amplifies Existing Engineering Culture 43:12 - Leveraging Interest in AI to Address Technical Debt 48:30 - Predictions for 2027: Moving Beyond Chat, the Power of QA Mindsets, and System Architecture 58:00 - Tech Guilty Pleasure & Personal Passions: Solar Punk, Gardening, and IT Girls Nashville LINKS FortyAU: https://fortyau.com/ DORA Research Report on ROI of AI-assisted Software Development: https://cloud.google.com/resources/content/dora-roi-of-ai-assisted-software-development Claude Code & Anthropic Architecture Programs: https://academy.claude.com/ IT Girls Nashville on Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/it-girls-nashville/ Nashville .NET on Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/nashdotnet/ Connect with Sydney Noh on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/sydneycnoh/

    Integrating AI into Developer Teams: Lessons from a Developer Advocate | Stories From The Hackery

  4. Jan 28

    Career Shift: From Photographer & Marketer to Application Engineer

    What happens when a side hustle photo business turns into a decade-long marketing career that no longer fits? In this episode, Michael Galo shares his non-linear journey to Nashville Software School (NSS). After feeling "stuck" in marketing and communications, Michael decided to follow the advice of local coffee shop regulars and dive into tech. Michael discusses the intensity of the six-month Software Development bootcamp, the "fire hose" of learning, and why he chose to immediately specialize further by joining NSS's brand-new Data Engineering program through the ProTech initiative. 01:33 Life Before NSS: A Decade in Photo Production, Marketing & Communications 02:31 The Spark: Too Many Alumni at the Coffee Shop 02:57 Why Software Development? 04:59 Navigating the Bootcamp Challenge: The Capstones 06:52 The Importance of Community and Teamwork 08:01 Specializing with Data Engineering and ProTech 10:41 Deepening Backend Skills and Data Architecture 12:18 Expanding the Job Search Target 14:24 Career Development: Beyond the Resume 16:18 Advice for the Job Search: Stay Connected 18:00 Is Now the Right Time to Invest in Yourself? 20:10 Final Thoughts: Busting Through the Walls

    Career Shift: From Photographer & Marketer to Application Engineer

  5. Jan 15

    Generative AI Levels the Playing Field for Neurodiverse Technologists | Stories From The Hackery

    Generative AI is leveling the playing field for neurodiverse technologists. In this episode of Stories From The Hackery, we sit down with NSS alum, Shalane Proctor for an honest and insightful conversation about neurodiversity, learning to code, and generative AI as an assistive technology. Shalane shares what it was like to be diagnosed with AuDHD during bootcamp, how that shaped her learning process, and why generative AI tools like ChatGPT became key to understanding complex concepts. Whether you’re neurodivergent yourself, have neurodivergent colleagues, or are just curious how generative AI is really being used on the ground—this episode will stick with you. 00:00 Introduction to Stories from the Hackery 01:17 Meet Shalane: From Customer Service to Software Engineer 03:05 Networking and Landing the First Job 06:35 Challenges and Discoveries in Software Engineering 08:23 Navigating Neurodiversity in Tech 14:08 The Role of Generative AI in Learning and Development 17:23 Balancing AI Assistance with Personal Growth 20:59 Lessons Learned and Future Directions 22:39 Limitations of ChatGPT in Software Engineering 25:53 The Role of AI in Automation and Job Creation 26:38 Practical Use Cases for AI in Software Development 30:35 AI's Impact on Neurodiverse Software Engineers 35:41 Personal Reflections on AI's Assistance 39:02 Technology Guilty Pleasures and Gaming 40:31 Final Thoughts and Appreciation Links: Nashville Software School: https://nashvillesoftwareschool.com The 70% Problem - By Addy Osmani: https://addyo.substack.com/p/the-70-problem-hard-truths-about

    Generative AI Levels the Playing Field for Neurodiverse Technologists | Stories From The Hackery

  6. 12/16/2025

    Career Shift: Hairdresser to Data Analyst | Stories From The Hackery

    Career change is a roller coaster, but it's one you can navigate with the right support. Jenni Roselle, a graduate of Nashville Software School’s full-time Data Analytics cohort DDA16, shares her journey from a decade as a hairdresser to landing a data analyst role at Ascension. Jenni discusses how the pandemic prompted her re-evaluation of her career, how her brief compliance role sparked an interest in data storytelling, and why she chose NSS (her husband's success story helped!). She offers invaluable advice on tackling the bootcamp's intensity by setting firm boundaries and shares her strategy for job search success, emphasizing that all connections—even those from swing dancing—matter. 00:58 Life Before NSS 01:04 The Spark for Data 03:21 The Motivation to Choose NSS 03:49 Navigating the Bootcamp Challenge 05:40 Setting Boundaries to Avoid Burnout 07:23 Mock Interviews and Career Development 10:59 Strategy for Landing the Job 12:12 Networking Advice: Always Share What You're Doing 13:37 Unexpected Connections (from Swing Dancing!) 16:04 Is Now the Right Time to Start? Data Analytics Bootcamps: Full-time: https://nashvillesoftwareschool.com/programs/data-analytics-full-time Part-time: https://nashvillesoftwareschool.com/programs/data-analytics-part-time Analytics Jumpstart: https://nashvillesoftwareschool.com/programs/analytics-jumpstart

    Career Shift: Hairdresser to Data Analyst | Stories From The Hackery

  7. 12/09/2025

    Career Shift: Vet Tech to Software Developer with Kasey Endsley | Stories From The Hackery

    Kasey Endsley, a graduate of Nashville Software School’s full-time, full-stack Web Development Cohort 76, shares her journey from working as a vet technician and manager to becoming a software developer. She discusses finding a career that finally offers the intellectual challenge she was seeking. Kasey dives into the power of the NSS community and the impact of continued training through our ProTech classes. Most importantly, Kasey offers her best advice for anyone asking: Is now the right time to do a bootcamp?. Spoiler: She says you should believe in yourself and take the chance. Hear her successful job search strategy, including why she focused on networking with NSS alumni and applying to companies that hire local graduates. 01:04 Before NSS 01:40 The Motivation to Change Careers 02:37 From Neopets and MySpace 03:28 The Aha Moment in Bootcamp 05:28 The Power of the NSS Community 06:18 Continuing Education with ProTech 09:31 Confidence Boost for the Job Search 10:24 Networking for Success 13:47 The Importance of Genuine Connections 15:32 Why Start a Software Development Bootcamp Now Software Development Bootcamps: Full-time, Full-stack: https://nashvillesoftwareschool.com/programs/web-developer-full-time/ Part-time, Full-stack: https://nashvillesoftwareschool.com/programs/web-developer-part-time/ Continuing Education Classes: Cloud Deployment Fundamentals: https://nashvillesoftwareschool.com/programs/cloud-deployment-fundamentals Introduction to Agentic AI for Developers: https://nashvillesoftwareschool.com/programs/agentic-ai-tools-for-developers

    Career Shift: Vet Tech to Software Developer with Kasey Endsley | Stories From The Hackery

  8. 11/13/2025

    Climbing the Agentic AI Learning Curve: Software Development | Stories From The Hackery

    Does generative AI level the playing field between a junior and an experienced developer? Or does experience matter more than ever? To get a real-world perspective, we sat down with two Nashville Software School (NSS) graduates now working together at Purity Health: Ripal Patel, an alum of Web Development Evening Cohort 8 and developer with five years of experience, and Drew Goodman, a 2024 graduate from Web Development Cohort 70. They share their perspectives on climbing the agentic AI learning curve, from their initial fears about AI to how it's already changing their daily workflows 02:08 - Meet Ripal: From Healthcare to Software Development 05:18 - Ripal's Initial Hesitation About AI 08:02 - Meet Drew: From Finance to a New Career in Tech 09:41 - Drew's Experience in a Slower Job Market 14:46 - Ripal's View: Did Experience Help in the AI Class? 18:10 - Drew's View: AI, Experience, and the Power to 'Screw Things Up' 19:37 - Aha Moment: 'It's Not Gonna Take My Job' 22:09 - How AI Changes the Developer Workflow: More Time Reviewing 23:41 - How AI Helps Junior Devs: More Time for System-Level Learning 26:09 - Key Mental Skill for AI: Breaking Down Big Tasks 30:33 - How is AI Different from Stack Overflow for Learning? 33:35 - Using AI to Learn a New Tech Stack on the Fly 36:04 - Workflow Breakdown: Agentic Mode vs. Ask Mode 40:29 - Using Guardrails and Instructions to Keep AI Consistent 44:53 - The NSS Mindset: 'Learning How to Learn' 46:41 - Advice for Experienced, Hesitant Developers 47:38 - Advice for Junior Developers Using AI 49:41 - Recommended Resources 52:07 - Tech Guilty Pleasures LINKS: Purity Health: https://www.purity-health.com/ Nashville Software School: https://nashvillesoftwareschool.com Should Startups Hire Junior Developers in the Age of AI? | Stories From The Hackery with David Andrews and Fletcher Watson of Purity Health: https://learn.nashvillesoftwareschool.com/blog/2025/10/29/should-startups-hire-junior-developers-in-the-age-of-ai-stories-from-the-hackery Agentic AI Tools GitHub Copilot: https://github.com/features/copilot Cursor: https://cursor.com Anthropic's Claude: https://www.anthropic.com/claude Community & Learning Resources Nashville Data Nerds: https://www.meetup.com/data-nerds/ FreeCodeCamp: https://www.freecodecamp.org/ Udemy: https://www.udemy.com/ Stack Overflow: https://stackoverflow.com/

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Find out what it takes to start a career in software development, data analytics, data science, or UI/UX design from those who made the leap. Hear from musicians, veterans, single-moms, teachers, bartenders, postdocs, warehouse workers, and more - all graduates of Nashville Software School (NSS) - as they discuss their transition to tech and their capstone projects presented at Demo Day. Founded in 2012, NSS is a flourishing community of over one thousand alumni, active students, and a team of dedicated instructors all working together to grow and learn their craft. As a non-profit, NSS is committed to growing diversity in tech by creating opportunities for under-represented groups in these fields. Learn more at nashvillesoftwareschool.com.

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