This word has appeared in 52 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year. Can you use it in a sentence?
How The Motley Fool Built Bridges Between Teams with Python Skills
Every Wednesday at 5:00, a group of employees at The Motley Fool, a financial and investing advice company, comes together to review the latest Python topics they’re learning through Codecademy. They’re a team of non-developers who wanted the ability to better communicate with the developers they collaborate with. They also saw the opportunity to make more informed decisions in their day-to-day work by growing their analytical skills. So far, the team is making great strides. Here’s how they got started and why they saw Codecademy as the best way to learn technical skills.
Why learn a new programming language?
The team at The Motley Fool is currently learning Python, but what motivated them to learn a new skill in the first place — and why Python? Johnnie Weathersby, Senior Business Intelligence (BI) Data Analyst/Architect and the Codecademy for Teams account manager, knows that in a digital world, it’s important to keep up with the fast pace of change. He tells us:
“I have a terrible fear of falling behind and I know that Python is one of those skill sets that everyone is starting to pick up and code with. I saw that it was one of the most sought-after skills in 2020. I also wanted to be conversant so I could talk to our devs and expand my own capabilities for analysis.”
Gary Taylor, Senior BI Analyst, feels that the more you know, the better. He says:
“For me, it was expanding my toolbox. When you look at the toolset that gets used in data science a lot, Python is way up there. Your critical data analysis tools — like Django, NumPy, or pandas — are all derived from Python.”
Robin Coulantes, who works in Finance, simply wanted to learn a new skill. She shares:
“I had no Python, coding, or data background. I wanted to see if I could apply it to my job and see if I like doing Python.”
Although each person had their own motivation for learning Python, everyone shared the desire to learn in an interactive, hands-on way, which led Johnnie to Codecademy for Teams.
Choosing Codecademy
Prior to signing up for Codecademy, the team experimented with learning Python through other platforms, but their experience fell short. Other platforms taught only through presentations — they lacked the interactive, hands-on learning that Codecademy offers. In fact, the ability to code in an interface was the biggest selling point for the team. Hannah Westberg, BI Analyst, shares:
“We could actually read something and then practice it right away and get feedback on it. The other platforms were more theoretical and expected you to go figure out how to do things in your own code editor.”
The team also preferred Codecademy because the course material had the breadth and depth they were looking for, while other platforms had gaps in their curriculum. They also appreciated how the courses were organized to offer step-by-step guidance. Johnnie explains:
“I like the structured approach. I like knowing that you’re working towards an end project and having the modules and syllabus clearly laid out. That organization is really helpful in picking up a coding language.”
The Motley Fool encourages their people to learn and dedicates budget for personal development, so Johnnie proposed Codecademy for Teams to Tom Connor, People Team Manager. He was immediately on board. As the company’s former VP of Software Development, Tom understood exactly why the other learning platforms didn’t quite hit the mark. He shares:
“I know from the past that for learning technical skills, more specific training tends to be the best. I like that Codecademy offers more boutique learning.”
Once Johnnie got budget approval for Codecademy for Teams, he decided to take things a step further. Rather than hand out licenses and have people learn on their own, he organized cohorts as a way to boost every learner’s chance of success.
Learning Python as a team
Johnnie started by taking the syllabus for the Codecademy Python course and assigning weekly review meetings for each segment, taking care to allot more time around holidays and for challenging topics. During each meeting, the group goes through the assigned lesson, including some of the sample projects. People share tips and are encouraged to walk others through how they solved a problem.
Johnnie also recruited some of the company’s developers to get involved. They act as mentors to learners and join the weekly meetings to help answer questions and give feedback. The meetings help learners set a pace for working through the material while providing a sense of accountability, which has been the biggest benefit of participating in a cohort for Gary:
“The nice thing about doing it in a group is there’s some accountability. You don’t want to let the group down. You don’t want to show up being the guy that doesn’t know what’s going on or didn’t finish that day. The group was a strong motivator.”
Outside of the weekly meetings, there’s ongoing support through the team’s dedicated “Python Homies” Slack channel of nearly 50 people, which includes a mix of learners and developers. This is where learners can ask questions, access meeting recaps, and — perhaps most importantly — get the encouragement to push through to the finish line.
For Johnnie, the connection and engagement that’s transpired among this larger group has been the most exciting result of the cohort approach. He tells us:
“Our devs know a lot and they love talking about what they do and teaching people. This has given them a great opportunity to share what they know and for them to interact with us. I love seeing the community that has built up around this group of people.”
So what happens when a cohort finishes a course? Some learners move on to a different language in Codecademy, some go through the course again for reinforcement, and others apply the knowledge to independent or work projects. The possibilities are endless.
The benefits of learning Python (& the benefits of simply learning)
Learning with a team and through an interactive platform like Codecademy has been the winning combination for those who struggled to absorb Python before. Hannah tells us:
“I tried to learn Python off and on for a couple of years. This is the first time I feel like I’ve made some breakthroughs.”
Johnnie had a similar experience and is already starting to benefit from making sense of Python:
“This has been the first time I’ve been able to successfully retain Python. I can remember the syntax now, I can remember the functions now. It hammered it into my head better than other times I tried to learn it with videos or books. I’m more confident and I feel more understanding of our devs. I can have better, more contextual conversations with them now.”
While some of the team will apply the concepts they learned right away — Gary and Hannah are tackling pandas, next — others, like Robin, are benefitting just from going through the learning process. She says:
“It was just nice to learn a new skill. I got the basics of it and I’m going to do another round of it because it is so new to me.”
There’s a perceived risk in learning something new — what if I don’t get it right? — but the experience itself has given the team at The Motley Fool permission to fail. The cohort structure provides encouragement and the opportunity to re-join the next round if you fall off. It’s a valuable lesson in resilience. On top of that, the Codecademy platform provides a safe space to experiment, as Johnnie describes:
“It’s OK to go in there and try different things out. Nobody is gonna die, no businesses are gonna lose money. If you mess up, Codecademy lets you go back and try again. There’s no negative reinforcement in Codecademy.”
Codecademy: A match for their mission
The Motley Fool’s purpose is to make the world smarter, happier, and richer by showing people how enjoyable, and financially rewarding, it can be when you invest in the stock market. This also drives how they treat their employees. Tom says:
“At the Fool, we believe people should have the freedom to follow their passion every day in roles they love.”
This isn’t just an idea they pay lip service to. By providing the opportunity to upskill with Codecademy, The Motley Fool shows that they support their employees in growing smarter, happier, and richer, too.
Learn together with Codecademy
Ready to unlock your team’s potential, like The Motley Fool? Give Codecademy for Teams a try. Our online learning platform offers interactive, self-paced training that equips your employees with the latest technical skills. Let your team try it first with our free 14-day trial.
Vibe Check: Our Take on Vibe Coding & AI Tools
There’s been a vibe shift in tech. Every job posting mentions AI, every startup pitch deck has “AI-powered” on slide two, and every developer is wondering if they’re about to be automated out of existence. So maybe it’s fitting that the latest development trend is literally called vibe coding, the process of using large language models to generate code based on simple natural language prompts.
In the 6 months since vibe coding exploded across social media, it’s gone from a somewhat gimmicky hack to a development approach that’s reshaping how software gets built. Indie developers are launching apps faster than ever, product managers are building their own prototypes, and even enterprise teams are quietly using it to speed up mundane tasks. The practice has become so mainstream that Meta reportedly allows vibe coding during job interviews, according to a recent article in WIRED.
Vibe coding is doing something significant: it’s collapsing the distance between having an idea and building it. Where coding once required months of syntax mastery before you could create anything meaningful, AI tools like Claude, Lovable, and v0 let you jump straight to the building part.
This democratization of building is personal for us at Codecademy. We were founded on the belief that everyone should learn how to code and be able to build something. Vibe coding gets us much closer to that vision. People are building solutions to their own problems in real-time: automating repetitive tasks, creating custom tools for their teams, and testing business ideas that previously would have required months of development. The barrier between having an idea and testing it has never been lower.
Instant gratification comes with a catch, though. Without basic software knowledge, you can’t tell if the AI’s code actually works or why it fails. AI will happily generate broken, inefficient, or completely wrong code if your prompts lack precision. Even when the code appears to work, making specific changes becomes frustratingly difficult — you can keep regenerating, but you might never get exactly what you want.
In our opinion, there’s a time and a place for vibe coding. Our new course Intro to Vibe Coding, teaches you best practices and prompting tips, plus gives you a chance to ideate your first vibe coding project with an AI assistant. Read on to learn what vibe coding actually is, when it works (and when it doesn’t), and how to get started the right way.
What is vibe coding?
Andrej Karpathy is the AI educator who popularized vibe coding in a post on X in February. He described a type of coding where “you fully give in to the vibes, embrace exponentials, and forget that the code even exists.”
In practical terms, vibe coding means describing what you want to build in natural language and letting an AI tool generate the actual code. For example, “Make me a to-do app with a dark mode toggle.” Instead of writing functions and debugging syntax errors, you iterate through conversations, refining your prompts until the AI produces something that works. (It’s the kind of movement that makes computer science professors cringe and startup founders curious.)
The tools enabling vibe coding combine two existing technologies: AI code generation and live preview environments. What feels revolutionary — prompting an AI and immediately seeing a working app — is really just the integration of AI assistance with browser-based development environments that provide instant feedback.
This explains why vibe coding appeals more to newcomers than seasoned professionals. Experienced developers already have fast, local feedback loops in their development environments, so tools like Cursor in agent mode or Copilot can provide similar prompt-to-working-code experiences without the browser constraints. In many ways, vibe coding serves as training wheels for software engineering — lowering barriers for new projects and new developers who haven’t yet set up sophisticated local tooling.
The appeal may vary by experience level, but the adoption numbers don’t lie. In the 2025 Stack Overflow Developer Survey, 51% of professional developers said they use AI tools in the development process daily. This rapid adoption raises an obvious question: is this transformation good for software development?
Is vibe coding bad?
Despite widespread AI use, the majority of developers are not vibe coding, according to the Stack Overflow Developer Survey. Codecademy shared a LinkedIn poll recently asking whether vibe coding in interviews is the norm and 73% of respondents said no.
Vibe coding has two main problems: security vulnerabilities and a complexity ceiling. AI-generated code often contains security flaws or uses outdated packages, making it risky for sensitive applications. It also breaks down as projects get complex. While perfect for simple prototypes and single-use apps, vibe coding struggles with applications that need long-term maintenance, high reliability, or complex component interactions. When it comes to building the mission-critical systems that keep businesses running, vibe coding falls short.
Vibe coding will reduce what you need to know to get results, but those who know will always have an advantage over those who don’t.
Judah Anthony
Senior Director of Consumer Engineering at Codecademy
These aren’t trivial concerns. When AI-generated code fails in production or introduces security vulnerabilities, the consequences can be severe. And the fear that vibe coding creates a generation of developers who can’t debug, optimize, or understand their code feels increasingly valid as more people rely on AI to do their thinking for them.
Some people are finding a middle ground. Masha Rose, a Codecademy learner, describes her evolution perfectly: “I used to copy code from my overlord ChatGPT, paste it, watch it break… then politely tell it its own code had an error,” she wrote on LinkedIn. After learning Python basics, “now when Claude or ChatGPT throws me some code, I don’t just paste and pray. I get it. I see the sneaky syntax bugs,” she says. Her experience shows that even basic coding knowledge transforms how effectively you can use AI tools.
Critics also argue that vibe coding isn’t “real” coding, and they may have a point. Coding typically refers to the act of writing syntax in a programming language, while programming is the broader process of solving problems and creating software solutions. Vibe coding might not be traditional coding, but it’s definitely programming. This distinction misses the bigger picture about how programming has always evolved. “The most advanced coding has largely remained unchanged for decades,” says Judah Anthony, Senior Director of Consumer Engineering at Codecademy. “However, each generation adds layers of abstractions to hide away the details of the machine, so we can stay focused on the logic of the problem.”
Think about it: Early languages like C and C++ made code work across different machines. Later, languages like C# and Go handled memory for you. Then dynamic languages made it easier by managing data types behind the scenes. Visual programming tools like Scratch introduced block-based coding, while no-code and low-code platforms let people build without traditional syntax. Now, vibe coding goes a step further by letting you focus on what you want the code to do, rather than how to write it.
Despite the valid worries about skill gaps and security risks, this progression serves a larger purpose. “Code has always been on a spectrum,” Judah says. “Vibe coding simply pulls forward that entry point, bringing it closer to everyday knowledge and thus more accessible to everyone.” This democratization means a marketing manager can build a landing page tester, a teacher can create a grade calculator, or an entrepreneur can prototype their MVP — all without formal coding skills.
How to start vibe coding
“Vibe coding will reduce what you need to know to get results, but those who know will always have an advantage over those who don’t,” Judah says.
It’s worth remembering the full context of Karpathy’s original description. He ended that viral post by calling vibe coding “not too bad for throwaway weekend projects, but still quite amusing.” Three key words there: it produces “bad” code that’s inherently “throwaway,” but it’s undeniably “amusing.”
Karpathy wasn’t advocating for vibe coding as the future of software development; he was describing a tool that’s perfect for experimentation and learning, not production systems. The reason vibe coding works best for throwaway projects becomes clear when you consider that English (or any natural language) isn’t a great programming language. The more specific you want to be, the more you need simple, structured, unambiguous instructions. Try to make English do that, and you’re essentially reinventing programming languages.
But here’s what vibe coding does brilliantly: it lowers the barrier to entry for new creators who can approach programming with fresh eyes and no preconceptions, and creates a new kind of collaboration between human creativity and AI capability. Instead of needing to master syntax and frameworks, you bring your domain knowledge, problem-solving instincts, and creative ideas, while the AI handles the technical implementation you don’t know. The trick is learning effective prompting techniques before you dive in, which is why we built Intro to Vibe Coding to teach you how to communicate clearly with AI tools, break down complex requests, and iterate on results that work.
The real test comes when you hit your first wall. When you go from that rewarding “aha” moment to a troubling “uh oh” moment — when prompting alone can’t solve your problem — that’s when foundational coding knowledge becomes invaluable. Understanding how software works helps you debug AI-generated code, optimize performance, and build systems that scale. Vibe coding may have changed the game, but it hasn’t changed the rules: the developers who thrive are still the ones who know what they’re building, not just how to ask for it.
The ‘Unicorn’ MBA: How Chelsea Doman Found Her Perfect Fit at the Gies College of Business
As a single mom of four, Chelsea Doman knew that going back to school would take more than ambition; it would take a program that truly suited her busy life. She’d built a career spanning pipeline operations, a decade of data analysis, launching a nonprofit for educational advocacy, and corporate analytics in the automotive industry. But her passion for learning persisted.
“I’ve always loved learning. Stopping with my bachelor’s didn’t seem like enough,” she says. “I’ve had various points where it seemed like it was time to go back to school, but I wasn’t sure if I should do a master’s in linguistics or pivot to engineering. Nothing was quite shaking out.”
Between her responsibilities as a mom, working full-time, and running a household on one income, many graduate programs felt out of reach. Either they were too expensive, too time-consuming, or too rigid. Then she discovered the University of Illinois Gies College of Business iMBA.
“When I saw Illinois had an online MBA with Coursera, it was like the heavens opened. I grew up in Illinois, so getting a degree from there while living in Wisconsin, plus not needing to study for the GMAT…it was like I found a unicorn! It was exactly what I was looking for.”
____________________________________________________________________________
Why an MBA, and Why Gies?
“My friend did an MBA online with a different university. Seeing that she could pursue this while working and being a mom made it seem possible. Being a single parent, one-income household, and 20-something years into my career, I didn’t want to go six figures into debt, because what would the ROI be?”
For Chelsea, the MBA wasn’t about chasing a bigger salary or title. It was to fuel her affinity for learning and to fulfill personal goals.
“I did it for the joy of learning, a longtime goal, a holistic business understanding, and to future-proof any opportunities that might come my way.”
She needed a flexible, affordable, and reputable program, so when Chelsea discovered that the Gies College of Business offered its MBA fully online, it felt like the perfect alignment. Here was a world-class institution with the academic rigor she wanted, delivered in a format that allowed her to realistically balance work, parenting, and everything in between.
A Transformative Experience
Chelsea enrolled in the Gies Business iMBA in January 2022, and what she gained exceeded expectations. She quickly became engulfed in connection opportunities as well as social and academic networking groups, both live and virtual.
“I have firm friendships with people that started online! Every day, you have the opportunity to meet and interact with different people all around the world.”
With initial nervous jitters about certain aspects of the curriculum, Chelsea began building confidence course by course. Eventually, she found herself thriving in subject matter she once feared.
“The class I was most nervous for was stats, and it ended up being one of my favorites. Being able to nerd out in Excel all the time was awesome, and of course the professors made it so engaging and fun. From that point forward, anytime I was overwhelmed, I thought back to stats.”
And the community was unlike anything she’d experienced. The Gies College of Business is extremely dedicated to building an online community for their learners, and Chelsea’s experience is a testament to just that.
“Every day you have the opportunity to meet and interact with different people all around the world. I didn’t expect that level of networking and engagement. Gies is a really unique community, and people are very eager to work together and learn.”
Balancing Career, Family, and Coursework
“Getting started is the scariest thing. Once you’re in it, it’s amazing. Of course, there’s trepidation about the workload on top of everything else I have going on. It’s not the easy route! But I certainly appreciate it a lot more now at 40-something than I would have at 20. It’s never too late.”
Chelsea used Coursera’s platform and the online format to make the learning work for her schedule. She appreciated the range in which she was able to learn and digest new information.
“Coursera is my go-to when I look for online learning. It appeals to lots of different learning styles. Visual learners have videos. If you prefer to read, you have captions, and you can speed up or slow down. The videos made the information searchable and the format predictable every term. I really liked the flexibility of it.”
Beyond theTitle Change or Career Advancement
While many pursue an MBA to level up in their careers, Chelsea wants others to know there’s another reason to take the leap.
“Very often, there’ll be questions like, ‘How did you level up with your degree? How many promotions did you get? What was your salary?’ But really, the program is so affordable and rewarding that you don’t necessarily need the change in job title or salary. You’re going to have this transformative journey in the program that you can’t really put a price tag on. ”
The self-realization was actualized for Chelsea throughout her entire Gies experience. However, she notes the value of the final capstone course and the impact it had on her.
“The stimulation of the daily learning is like chipping away at the marble block, and you can’t really see what’s happening to you while you’re in it. But the final capstone was an amazing opportunity to reflect on the entire experience and how much I’d grown.”
Today, Chelsea is a proud graduate of the iMBA program and a Data Engineering Manager at Sargento Foods. She beams with confidence and pride for her newly acquired diploma, and recognizes how the MBA has made her a more well-rounded and globally connected leader.
“The Gies influence is going to continue long after I retire. I really never imagined how transformative of an experience it would be. Of course, I expected ‘book knowledge’, but just the understanding I got of myself? I mean, it was life-changing.”
Interested in following Chelsea’s path?
The Gies Business iMBA from the University of Illinois is fully online, highly affordable, and built for ambitious professionals at any career stage. Whether you’re chasing career growth, personal enrichment, or both, you’ll join a global network and gain a truly transformative experience.
On Fathers and Sons and ‘Unpronounceable’ Names: The Week 9 Winners of Our Summer Reading Contest
This week we had so many excellent entries, we decided to honor two winners: an essay by William Alexis, 16, and a video by Saanvi Kondoju, 16.
Word of the Day: bivalve
This word has appeared in 25 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year. Can you use it in a sentence?
5 LMS Gamification Lessons Every L&D Leader Must Know
Organisations investing in cutting-edge learning platforms and curated content, only to watch engagement levels lag and enthusiasm wane. This is the reality for countless Learning and Development (L&D) teams today. Despite the surge in digital learning tools, driving true learner participation remains a stubborn challenge.
Why? Traditional LMS platforms typically rely on static, one-size-fits-all modules, leaving learners uninspired, disconnected, and unsure how their progress adds up. Without meaningful motivation, personal relevance, or visible markers of achievement, even the best courses risk being ignored.
The result: low completion rates, disengaged talent, and a return on investment that rarely meets expectations.
What Is All That Buzz About LMS Gamification?
LMS gamification transforms the learning experience by embedding game-like mechanics, such as experience points, badges, leaderboards, and streaks, into your platform. These features stimulate both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, helping to foster active participation, deeper learning, and habit formation. In short, a gamified LMS turns routine training into a rewarding, performance-driven experience.
In the context of corporate learning gamification, these techniques are especially impactful. They bridge the gap between learning goals and measurable business performance.
Gamified learning impact becomes evident when learners are not only participating but also achieving more and remembering longer.
Alison’s recent six-week beta test with 56K+ learners proves that gamification actually works, even without changing the course content. Below are five key lessons every L&D leader should take from this initiative.
Lesson 1: Motivation Can Be Engineered With LMS Gamification
Game mechanics give learners a clear reason to return.
Stat: 97% of employees above the age of 45 agree that gamification would help improve their work, while 87% of respondents found it makes them more productive at work.
How gamified learning works: Reward systems (XPs, streaks, leaderboards) tap into learners’ goal-seeking behaviours and trigger dopamine-driven engagement cycles. Over time, this builds sustained momentum, not just initial curiosity.
✅ Action point: Activate XP rewards and streak counters in your LMS to build engagement loops. Recognise and encourage learners whenever they make progress. Highlight achievements, whether big or small, to encourage regular participation and build lasting motivation.
Lesson 2: A Gamified LMS Unlocks Value Without Rewriting Courses
In Alison’s beta test, the course content remained exactly the same. What changed? The experience. Once gamified features were introduced, learner behaviour shifted dramatically, without any updates to the curriculum.
Insight: Engagement isn’t only about what you teach, it’s about how learners interact with it. Gamification boosts motivation and outcomes by making the learning journey more dynamic and personal.
✅ Action point: Apply gamification overlays to your existing LMS. Make learning more engaging by adding fun elements like points, badges, or progress bars to your existing courses. You don’t need to change the content, just focus on making the experience enjoyable and rewarding for learners.
Lesson 3: More Time on a Gamified Platform Leads to Better Retention
Learners in the gamified environment recorded 25.6% more time on task, with higher session frequency and stronger learning streaks.
Supporting data: Research shows gamification increases knowledge retention by up to 40% and boosts productivity by as much as 50%.
Key point: More time in a gamified LMS isn’t wasted. It builds learning habits and supports long-term retention.
✅ Action point: Track and report learning duration. Encourage session streaks and celebrate time milestones (e.g., “You’ve studied 30 minutes today!”) to reinforce focus and build deeper content engagement.
Lesson 4: Habit Loops Are the Key to Lasting Learner Engagement
Gamified platforms encourage repeat usage, which is critical to developing learning habits.
Feature mechanics: Streaks, points, leaderboards and regular feedback create consistent learning loops.
Industry benchmark: Organisations using gamified platforms have seen customer engagement rise by 48%.
Real-world result: Alison’s beta testers cited daily streaks and XP goals as major motivators for returning to the LMS.
✅ Action point: Help learners build a daily habit by showing their streaks and points when they log in. Send friendly reminders if they miss a day, and offer small daily challenges to keep them coming back regularly.
Lesson 5: LMS Progress Visibility Drives Learning Performance
Learners thrive on feedback. A clear view of progress via XP tracking, completion dashboards, and leaderboard status offers instant, meaningful reinforcement.
Result: Progress visibility boosts learner morale, accountability, and completion rates. It also aligns learners to team and organisational goals.
Culture shift: A gamified LMS fosters an achievement-driven learning environment where progress is public, motivating, and goal-oriented.
✅ Action Point: Make learner dashboards central to your UX. Show cumulative XPs, completed modules, next steps, and leaderboard status in one view to drive focus and ownership.
How To Get Started With LMS Gamification?
You don’t need to rebuild your training programs from scratch. Modern platforms like Alison’s LMS+ come with gamification features already built in, ready to be activated with zero disruption.
Getting started checklist:
- Step 1: Align rewards to real business objectives (sales KPIs, compliance, onboarding).
- Step 2: Promote early wins to encourage buy-in from teams and managers.
- Step 3: Use built-in analytics to track impact and iterate as needed.
See Alison’s Gamified LMS in Action
Ready to take your employee engagement to the next level?
Book a 15-minute live demo to experience LMS gamification in action with Alison’s gamified learning platform. Learn how to increase engagement, drive retention, and turn training into real business value.
How RizePoint Retains Talent & Creates Path for Growth with Codecademy Training
Company background
RizePoint is a quality management software company that has been working to help companies keep their brand promises for almost 25 years. The RizePoint platform allows companies to collect and analyze meaningful data to identify trends and drive improvement. With a strong focus in the food industry, RizePoint helps companies like McDonald’s in safe workplace accountability so they can proactively see issues and take appropriate actions to keep the workplace safe. RizePoint has experienced continued growth and needs to support that with R&D growth and innovation. In an era of scarce technology resources, this requires a focus on internal training and promotion and making learning a critical and celebrated part of their culture.
Key results
98%
retention rate in the engineering team, over the past 2 years, thanks to culture of learning
100%
fulfillment of open technology positions by training and promoting from within
55%
reduction in time to fulfill customer feature requests, thanks to cross-training
Challenge
RizePoint’s CTO of R&D, Darrel Williams, was facing a common problem — business growth during a technology resource shortage. “Trying to hire for software development positions was extremely difficult. The prices were sky-high, and the people that were out there were getting snatched up super quickly.” They needed to find new ways to promote internally and find development efficiencies. Both Williams and his Software Development Manager, Mary Shultz, felt that training was the answer.
Our retention rate for the past few years is in the high nineties. Having Codecademy and our ladder training program excites people and actually shows them that there is a path for them to grow in our organization.
Darrell Williams
CTO of R&D, RizePoint
Unfortunately, according to Williams their existing training solution wasn’t getting the desired results. “The training solution we were using was watching videos, taking notes and assuming that you’re being successful. It’s just not the in-depth learning that we needed to successfully develop our people at RizePoint.” Shultz further explained their frustration, “For people like me, who need hands-on experience coding an application to really learn it, our training solution didn’t provide that for us. And as a manager, we just didn’t have the visibility on actual learning to really help those that needed it.”
RizePoint knew they needed a dynamic learning solution that not only kept pace with emerging programming languages and frameworks, but that also had a more immersive practice environment. They also wanted a high level of visibility and flexibility for managers to tailor programs for their employees.
Solution
Williams and Shultz built an internal career advancement track for technology employees to have a path for career growth. When looking for a training solution that would support this, they turned to Codecademy, which they had both used as individuals to further their knowledge.
Williams loved that Codecademy wasn’t just a training workflow, but provided live feedback. “What stands out to me with Codecademy is the IDE within the tool. You can be typing code, and it’s checking syntax and providing error feedback as soon as you hit ‘Submit.’ That’s incredibly valuable.”
With confidence that Codecademy was the learning solution they had been searching for, Shultz put it into action. “Codecademy helps us gamify and manage our career advancement tracks. I can take those areas that we find, add them to tracks that then can become a path that is a senior software engineer. And as they complete each piece of the syllabus, it checks it off the list for them so that they can get really good feedback about completion. And as a manager I can see the progress and help celebrate their achievements.”
What stands out to me with Codecademy is the IDE within the tool. You can be typing code, and it’s checking syntax and providing error feedback as soon as you hit ‘Submit.’ That’s incredibly valuable.
Darrell Williams
CTO of R&D, Rizepoint
With a robust system in place to support their learning initiatives, RizePoint rolled out various use cases such as employee onboarding and Shultz also applied it to intern onboarding. “Before I let interns into my code base, I need to make sure that they understand enough so they don’t wipe six weeks worth of information accidentally. So, I have a certain set of lessons that they’re required to go through within Codecademy. Being able to see the results of their learning more granularly is really helpful.”
Shultz and Williams also felt that if they could break down some of the knowledge silos across teams, they could improve collaboration while removing some of the need for development resources. Shultz said that cross-training between solutions and implementations teams was a great place to start. “Codecademy helped our implementation team learn basic JavaScript, so they can help with introductory level development tasks without needing to rely on the development team. This significantly reduces the delivery time for client requests.”
Outcomes
Williams asserts that Codecademy has helped fill open positions organically. “To solve the skills gap challenge, we use Codecademy to develop from within. When a customer support employee shows any kind of an inclination towards any technical skill, we can point them into one of those career tracks, which leads to a six-month crossover training program between customer support and IT. If that goes well, they can continue their career without having a degree in that area. It fills open positions and gives our team members a reason to stay with RizePoint.”
Williams and Shultz aren’t just filling positions, they are keeping their IP. Williams stated, “Our retention rate for the past few years is in the high nineties. Having Codecademy and our training program excites people and actually shows them that there is a path for me in this organization, there is a place for me to grow and I’m not going to just be stagnant in a topped-out, specific role for who knows how long. It’s giving a lot of different folks opportunities that they wouldn’t normally see in an organization.”
We found that Codecademy really helps promote accountability as well as the understanding that the organization is also walking in parallel with you and supporting you.
Mary Shultz
Software Development Manager
Shultz added, “We found that Codecademy really helps promote accountability as well as the understanding that the organization is also walking in parallel with you and supporting you. RizePoint is committed to growth as an organization, but also at an individual level. And I think that Codecademy really helps with that.”
RizePoint has been so successful with Codecademy that they are now using it to train non-degreed coders. Shultz explains, “Codecademy gives us this opportunity to take someone who did six to nine months at a code bootcamp, but doesn’t really understand what they want to do and explore their fit while filling in their knowledge gaps. Codecademy is really helpful for blending non-degreed coders into the organization.”
Williams sees the impact of Codecademy beyond just R&D. “Codecademy has helped RizePoint become much more collaborative by helping us cross train employees. We don’t have to worry about those silos that we’ve had in the past that can really just hinder an organization’s movement forward.”
Explore Codecademy Teams for your organization.
Learn Spatial Data Skills & Mapbox in Our New Courses
Maps have always told stories. From ancient cartographers sketching coastlines to modern data scientists tracking urban development patterns, geographic visualization transforms raw information into compelling narratives that resonate with human experience. Unlike traditional charts or dashboards that present abstract or theoretical numbers, maps connect data directly to the physical world around us, making insights immediately actionable and understandable.
Our new courses teach you to harness this power. Intro to Geographic Data Mapping covers spatial data fundamentals, while Learn Geographic Storytelling with Mapbox teaches you to use Mapbox — the platform behind location-aware apps and businesses — to create compelling geographic visualizations for the web. Built by industry experts, both courses provide the foundational knowledge and hands-on skills you need to add geographic storytelling to your professional toolkit.
Who these courses are for
These courses are perfect for data analysts, data scientists, and developers looking to enhance their storytelling skills. You don’t need to be a geographic information systems specialist — spatial data techniques help anyone transform abstract data into compelling insights that resonate with all kinds of stakeholders and audiences.
“Maps help us to see data in the context of the physical world, which is really powerful for how we think about problems and solutions,” says Eva Sibinga, Senior Curriculum Developer at Skillsoft (the learning company Codecademy’s part of) who helped make the courses. A web developer, for example, can use geographic data to turn a simple interface into an immersive, location-aware experience.
The free course Intro to Data Mapping requires no prerequisites, making it perfect for beginners who want to jump in and learn about the different ways we visualize geographic data. Learn Geographic Storytelling with Mapbox involves some coding and comfort with data tools. You’ll be using Mapbox GL JS to make web maps, so basic web development skills are a plus, but you don’t need extensive app building experience.
What will you learn from the courses
Intro to Geographic Data Mapping builds your foundation in geographic visualization:
- Learn how digital maps fit into data workflows — from building requirements to publishing options
- Master essential data visualization approaches, including common map types and best practices
- Recognize and apply different data-driven mapping techniques
- Understand how geographic and data layers work together to tell compelling stories
Learn Geographic Storytelling with Mapbox provides hands-on training with industry-standard tools:
- Discover how Mapbox integrates into your digital mapping toolkit
- Master data preparation, hosting, map styling, and interactivity
- Create and customize map styles
- Work confidently with point, line, and polygon data
- Navigate Mapbox Studio’s interface and understand how it fits into broader workflows
- Publish and deploy professional Mapbox maps
Maps help us be action-oriented because they connect data to the world around us. Together, these courses transform you from someone who consumes maps to someone who creates them, giving you both the conceptual understanding and technical skills needed for professional geographic storytelling. A thoughtful map project in your portfolio demonstrates that you can create work with real-world relevance and impact.
Ready to start your geographic storytelling journey? Upgrade to a Codecademy Plus or Pro membership so you can explore both courses to build comprehensive mapping skills.
Word of the Day: coxswain
This word has appeared in three articles on NYTimes.com in the past year. Can you use it in a sentence?
