A podcast about coding, education, and mastery. We'll interview current Launch School students, employers in the tech sector, and industry veterans to talk about how to succeed on a journey to mastery and becoming a professional software engineer. Conversations will revolve around learning, programming, expertise, study habits and many other topics related to mastery based learning.
In this episode, Chris shares insights from the most recent salary data for Capstone graduates who began Capstone in 2024. He highlights notable trends, including the return to office and the significant salary gap for roles based in New York City and the San Francisco Bay Area.
We then open the floor to student questions, covering a range of topics such as what incoming students can expect when entering Capstone in 2026, how AI is shaping the day-to-day work of software engineers, and how current students can best prepare for those changes.
At Launch School, our goal is to be transparent and provide students with the resources they need to succeed. Discussing the state of the job market and what it means for both enrolled and prospective students is an important part of that mission. We hope you find the discussion insightful and helpful.
18 Aug 2025
Capstone 2026 Updates: Adapting to a Changing Market
Launch School has been investing in students and AI while adapting to the evolving software engineering landscape. In this episode, we sit down with Chris to discuss what Capstone students can expect in 2026.
Tune in for a discussion on:
Moving from three Capstone cohorts per year to two
New open source initiatives and internship opportunities to help grads build experience
Strategies and logistics for managing a longer job hunt
How the core curriculum has been evolving alongside Capstone over the years
Chris’s perspective on the future of software engineering
In a rapidly changing market shaped by AI, we’re committed to transparency and to investing in students’ success and preparation for today’s industry. The future is full of opportunity. 🚀
26 Apr 2025
Major Curriculum Updates with Chris
In this session, we covered three big updates happening at Launch School.
First, we introduced the new LSBot feature, which provides code reviews for exercies to help fill in support gaps. Chris touches on interesting questions surrounding both LSBot and AI in general, like if LSBot is intended to replace human TAs.
Next, we talked about the shift away from written assessments. Instead, students will now complete quizzes and interview-style assessments, to better prepare for real-world interviews and to adapt to the rise of AI tools. This also brings up the discussion of how AI will change the culture around getting jobs as SWEs.
Finally, we explained the split of the JS230 course into two separate courses: one focused on DOM manipulation, and the other on asynchronous JavaScript. These two courses will make the material more approachable, and the assessment course, JS239, will cover content from both.
We also touched on the future — including the possibility of adding AI education like prompt engineering into the curriculum — and encouraged students to view AI as a positive learning tool rather than something to be skeptical of.
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4.9 / 5
63 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
23 ratings
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