Le Wagon

I’ve been founding and managing businesses in various industries gathering insights from different parts of the business and yet, it seemed like something was missing. Every time my partners and I attempted to scale a business we got stuck as either no one in our team had sufficient technical skills to develop what we needed or it was too expensive to be outsourced.

So I decided this will not stop me again in the future. I will quit my job, learn to code and become the successful entrepreneur I always wanted to be. Easier said than done… I did tons of research and finally came across Le Wagon's intense full stack web development bootcamp. I was hooked as soon as I saw the program: OOP, Ruby (fastest growing development community), Rails, HTML, CSS, JS, Ajax, API’s, DB (SQL, My SQL, PostGres), developing environments and collaboration tools (Git & Github, Trello, Slack) and deployment (Heroku)… It looked insanely complete.

Then I came across SwitchUp, and Le Wagon’s top score of 4.99 out of 5 (+600 reviews!!). Could this get any better? It did, I found out that they are in Bali. A week later I was already signed up and preparing for what I thought will be one of the greatest experience of my life. Some expectations, huh? I was part of Le Wagon Batch #163 in Bali and believe it or not it totally surpassed my expectations. Not only the program is as strong as they claim, teachers, fellow students (we were 25!) and manager were so incredibly nice and helpful which made my experience so much more rewarding.

And you not only learn, you make! During the last weeks my team and I developed The Pool of Printables (www.thepoolofprintables.com), a platform that allows you to collectively raise money to get high quality 3D designs and boost the 3D printing community. We felt so proud making and presenting it on the final demo day!

Bottom line, if your goal is similar to mine, to understand more about coding to boost your entrepreneurial and/ or managing skills and be able to code MVP’s, or if you aim to become a full stack developer, Le Wagon is the place for you. I loved the experience and I can’t recommend it enough.

P.S.: the access to the Le Wagon community that you have during and after the bootcamp might be the biggest resource you don't have on your radar while looking for bootcamps. More than 3000 like-mined people helping with developments, finding jobs, freelance gigs, team-mates, co-founders… BOOM.

Over the years, I’ve worked as the business or marketing guy for various companies. I was always drawn to these roles because of my ability to ‘play nice’ with others. But in some ways I was also limited to these roles because I lacked a strong technical skillset. In my mind, this technical skillset could be many things… coding, design, data science, architecture, medicine, and law are all examples. Unfortunately for me, I had never developed any of these skills. I wanted to find a way to develop myself so that I could provide more value to companies while also freeing myself from the business/marketing mindset. I didn’t want to just sell, I wanted to build. After nine weeks of intensive learning with Le Wagon, I’ve not only gained a deeper understanding of full-stack web development, but the confidence and knowhow to extend my learning to other technical areas. Although the bootcamp has ended, the learning has just begun. I’ve begun work at a local startup as a WeChat Mini Program developer, I’ve joined forces with other Le Wagon alumni to continue learning new frameworks, and I’ve built a strong community of developers, hackers, and entrepreneurs who want to use to tech to add value to the world. Choosing to join Le Wagon was a great decision. It has reshaped the way I see the world and my role in it.

Before coming to Le Wagon I had a start-up. The things were going great until the day when I realised that it was actually the time to build the product.  I didn’t have the skills to build it. Moreover, I thought that programming is like an art - only the gifted people could do it and excel at it. After a couple of months of unfruitful searches for a technical co-founder or even a person who would help me out without asking for a fortune, I started considering learning how to code myself. I was terrified, I was unsure but I made the decision. I went to Google and searched for «the best coding school in Europe», and Le Wagon popped up immediately. I read a few recommendations and reviews and it became a no-brainer to me. 
The program is very intense, yet extremely rewarding. The feelings you get when your code works are very genuine, I’d compare it to the emotions of kids who build something really cool with Lego and are super satisfied with their work. The classes were extremely fun and I really enjoyed the idea of working with a new buddy every day. Not to forget the teaching staff: the guys have an insane amount of patience to be there for you and explain a very minor detail until you *really* get it, which is invaluable. After all, Le Wagon is one big family.
Of course, there were tough things. When I first saw «9 Intensive Weeks» on the website I couldn’t imagine how really intensive they are. You spend 9 hours a day learning how to code, making thousands of mistakes, asking for help. However, these 9 weeks have been one of the best weeks of my life, and I can really say that I have pushed my own boundaries. I may sound like a cliché but it is true: I couldn’t imagine myself being able to do things I can do now. It truly is amazing and fulfilling. 

One thing that I also want to mention is that coding changes the way you think and the way you dream. Before going to Le Wagon, I couldn’t think of building a complex, technical product that has hi-tech features. Now, after the immersion into the tech culture, it is really inspiring to dream even bigger and aim for something that would change the world.

If you are considering joining Le Wagon, don’t think too much - it will change your life, just like it changed mine.
Everybody can code, it «simply» takes desire, effort, an open-mind and people that would support you. So why not doing it with the best school?
Change your life - Learn how to code

Before Le Wagon I was a postdoctoral researcher in science. Seeing the growing field of technology and startups and the simultaneously rising demand for developers, I decided to join the Le Wagon Bootcamp. Before Le Wagon I already had basic experience in programming and therefore I was having doubts if the Bootcamp might not be demanding enough. However, I was challenged from the beginning to the end and it was hard work to prepare the lectures and get the exercises done.

That said, there is no problem to get successfully through the Bootcamp and deliver great final projects without any prior programming knowledge. This works because the Le Wagon curriculum and teachers adjust very well to the different pre-knowledge of the students. The program is well structured and all programming fundamentals are taught before going into the development of web applications.

Most importantly the whole Le Wagon team of teachers and assistants spent a great effort on helping the students and make it a great experience for everybody.
Le Wagon prepares the students to work as a developer alone or in a team. I recommend Le Wagon to anybody, who wants to change their career, independently of the professional background.

A year ago I finished my training at Le Wagon (batch 83). I was looking for a web developer training to learn to code, use APIs, learn to scrape the web, to become a growth hacker. I also wanted to be autonomous and create side projects and why not create a startup one day. There are a lot of bootcamps to learn to code in Paris so I compared them and I chose Le Wagon for several reasons:
- It is a reference training in the startup ecosystem.
- For their “product” culture
- For the network. I have built a network of trusted relationships today thanks to the bootcamp.

I was hired as a growth hacker at the end of the batch in a startup accelerator. I was able to practice my skills. A few months after Le Wagon, I continued coding and I created a tool. I launched my own marketing automation tool through what I learned ( www.tribly.co ). The bootcamp has a cost, but it is an investment to do in oneself which is worth it and which is quickly profitable.

I have been living in Japan for 5 years working as an English teacher but teaching myself coding on the side. I tried to switch careers multiple times with no luck until I found Le Wagon in Tokyo. 

Teachers are amazing. The program is hands-on with lectures and then building on what you learn through challenges and small projects throughout the day. The teachers take you through the concepts step by step. There are TAs (and the teachers) that help with the day's challenges if you need it. I was an incredible experience and I almost didn't want it to end.

Now, I'm a full-stack developer for a startup in Tokyo. I've built life-long friends through the program and have finally realized my dream to code professional all thanks to Le Wagon!

Le Wagon changed my life completely.
Honestly I couldn’t code really well, but this bootcamp tough me how I can manage my life if I really want which anyone didn’t teach me in the school and in my work. Actually it was more important than just only coding. To decide attending the bootcamp wasn’t really easy for me because I had good career and salary in Tokyo. But I just realised sometime we need to decide and make big change in our life otherwise our life will be same level and never learn anything. Now I have more independent mind set and I can manage my life by my self!

After working for a start-up for a couple of years I felt it was time for a change and I wanted to challenge myself by learning something completely new. I love travelling and to have flexibility in a job, so why not learn how to code? I didn’t have any experience in tech or coding at all and after hearing all the great things about Le Wagon Bali, I decided to quit my job and jump in with both feet to become a full stack web developer.

I got straight into the deep end and in the first few weeks I got to learn, amongst other things, Ruby, SQL and OOP which started coming together when we learnt the Rails framework. Not having any prior experience, I was afraid that I would end up thinking coding was too technical for me, or that I would not be good at it. By the time it got to the project weeks of the Bootcamp, I was really impressed with myself for being able to code real web-apps. Before the bootcamp I never imagined this possible.

After two weeks of non-stop coding for our project SkillSwap, we were able to finish on time and present it on Demo Day to the local teach community and digital nomads (watch the videoclip!). This is the feature I like the most about Le Wagon. It is very product-oriented and I believe it is quite unique in that sense. Not only can you be a junior developer when you graduate, you are also trained to be an entrepreneur and product owner to pitch a product, manage product design and project constraints, conduct business presentations, with the aim of launching your idea to the market. The feeling is incredibly rewarding and empowering.

I never imagined I would like coding this much and so will you.

I've been in IT for 20 years but far from the Web world (yes, there is a lot of stuff going on out of the www as well). Tired of all the burocracy of big groups and the never ending projects, I decided to look for something more dynamic. Then started looking for a web development bootcamp. At the beginning of my career I was a developer and I remembered how much I enjoyed coding, so decided to update my knowledge and move on to the web. I was looking for somethig dynamic, pragmatic and useful right away. No time for 6 months training plus time doing interships in companies. Had had my share of big companies.

I checked some other trainings and bootcamps in the Marseille area and Le Wagon spoke to me right away. Just by looking at their website you can see is dynamic. Being a globtrotter at heart and seeing that the bootcamp runs in so many countries just clicked.

Then the program. Training sessions in the morning, then practice all day long, then life code at the end of the day. Then two weeks developing a project. A lifely dynamic involved in the startup world. I assited then to one of their Demo Days and it just felt right. That's what I wanted to do, that's the bootcamp I want to join. It took a few months until I could finally join but I was not dissapointed at all. 

We were lucky enough in our promo to hit it off right away. 14 people, from 21 to 59 years old, very different backgrounds and experiences and so enriching. Later on, seeing other promos, I think that happens in every promo, in different ways, but the ambiance of Le Wagon just makes that in every promo there is a bit of a (temporary) family spirit going on. 

Ah, yes, we coded as well! I just had a blast every single day. It was hard, future Wagoners beware. It was exahausting but so worth it. The first week I was so excited and my brain was absorbing so many things that I could barely get to sleep at night. By the middle of the bootcamp you are exahusted, you start to beleive that you are not going to make it... there are ups and downs, but everyone tells you to hold on to it... wich you do and by the end everything is worth. 

The pedagory is good, being in IT I already knew many concepts, though not the languages, and the way things are explained and chained it just makes sense and everything ends up by clicking and fitting together.

Teachers are excellent, some have a lot of experience in the field, some others are Le Wagon's alumni. All of them are passionate and patient. They know how to teach and help. 

And then the Demo Day. It is so exciting to be able to show to about a hundred people what you just did with your team. We could not beleive we were able to do all of that in only 2 weeks. Only 9 weeks before we didn't know anything about it and there we were, showing to the world our project. 

When you finish your promo there is a bit of an "orphan" feeling, after all you are spliting with your (temporary) family and that is always difficult. But there are ways to work it out. Co working space, being a TA (which I am doing), or even becoming a teacher yourself later on (which I hope to do some day).

Le Wagon has s become part of my life now, I go to the co-working space, I make TA every now and then and the whole experience keeps up to my expectations. 

Hesitating about which way to go? Well, my advise is go to Le Wagon, hold on to the rails (pun intended) and enjoy! You won't regret it!