What is Founders and Coders?

More information

• Where and when are your courses?

  Each course runs for eighteen weeks on-site in London at Space4 in Finsbury Park, five days a week from 10:00 to 18:00. We do not offer part-time or remote courses.

• Who else will be doing the course?

  In the last two years, 57% of our London intake were women. In our experience, cohorts thrive when teams represent a diversity of experiences and perspectives, providing many opportunities for people to learn new ways of thinking from each other.

• What will be expected of me?

  As a student, you will spend 1-2 evenings/month mentoring prospective applicants. When you graduate, you will spend at least one full week volunteering as a mentor during the first eight weeks of the following cohort.

• Can I take time off during the course?

  It’s okay to miss one or two days of your cohort because of prior engagements, however, it’s not okay to miss more than that (e.g., a full week). If you would need to miss more than a couple of days of a cohort, you should apply for another cohort. Note that we generally don’t take bank holidays off.

• What will I learn on the course?

  During the first half of the course, you’ll spend eight weeks learning HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Node.JS and other basic building blocks of web development, as well as user-centred design and entrepreneurship, via workshops and team projects.

  During the second half of the course, you’ll tackle two extended team projects, one based on ideas pitched within the cohort and a final project for an external client that you will select as part of the Tech for Better programme.

• What do you mean by 'peer-led' programme?

  We have no paid teaching staff. While we do employ a part-time facilitator who coordinates course logistics, the course is primarily “peer-led.” You will learn to code by pair programming with a partner, working on team projects, and from “near-peer” mentorship by recent graduates.

• How do you run a programme without charging fees?

  Founders and Coders is a community founded on the principle of reciprocity. We expect all graduates to contribute back to the viability and development of the programme, starting by mentoring for at least one full week after they graduate.

  We support ourselves financially by acting as an employment agency. You can help us keep this programme free for future students by working with us to find employment, both after you graduate and throughout your career.

• Who is this programme suitable for?

  There are no academic requirements, but not everyone will be suited to the style of learning our courses require. You need to be self-motivated, prepared to work long hours, and committed to collaborative working. Coding also requires a deep curiosity about how things work and a certain stubbornness in the face of repeated failure.

• I'd like to start my own business. Should I attend Founders and Coders?

  We’re called Founders and Coders for a reason! Several of our alumni have gone on to start successful companies, for example: Amaliah, Personably, Fat Lama, Scrimba, and Workerbird.

• I'm not a UK citizen. Can I attend Founders and Coders?

  At this time, we are only accepting people who have the right to work in the UK and who intend to seek employment in London after the end of the programme. We do not offer support for visa applications.

• Is there a minimum age for attending Founders and Coders?

  Yes, for insurance reasons you need to be 18.

• How long will it take me to complete the prerequisites?

  How quickly you complete the prerequisites will depend on a variety of factors, such as technical background and time available. Our courses start three times a year so the next intake is never more than four months away.

• What happens in your interviews?

  The conversational interview is an opportunity for us to learn more about your interests as a developer, understand why you want to join our community, and determine whether you’re likely to be a good fit for our learning environment. Interviews typically last for 20 minutes and include a short coding challenge.

• Can you tell me why I wasn't admitted or give me feedback on my application?

  Unfortunately we don’t provide individualised admissions feedback. We do our best to admit a diverse cohort of individuals who will thrive in our cooperative community. Joining Founders and Coders is just one of many pathways to becoming a developer.

• Can I visit Founders and Coders?

  We can’t accommodate drop-ins during the course from potential applicants, so please don’t stop by during course hours unannounced. If you’d like to see the space and meet current course participants please complete an expression of interest to receive invitations to events, workshops, and meetups for prospective students.

  If you’re interested in a partnership, please contact us or visit our Hire page.

Have a question we didn’t answer? Contact us and we’ll get right back to you!