Le Wagon

I always wanted to become an entrepreneur but didn’t know how to get started. After working 5 years in marketing and in HR, I knew it was the time for me to try out new things. Quitting the corporate race was the first move. But what do you do after that?

The world of startups is very different from the classic corporate world. In a big company, you are a small piece of a huge machine. In a small company, you have to learn to think different and to be able to do a lot of things at the same time, especially if it’s your own venture. Today, even in non-tech companies, it is very important to understand how the latest technologies work because your customers probably spend as much time as you do in front of their computers and smartphones.

I decided to board on the 9-week bootcamp of Le Wagon to get the set of skills that would help me build my MVP. On the first weeks, we learn the object-oriented programming language Ruby. For those who have never coded before, Ruby is a very intuitive back-end language. Once you master Ruby, you can basically learn any other programming language because it would work in a similar way. Then, we learn about databases, front-end programming, and integration in the framework Rails. On the last weeks of the bootcamp, we team up in groups (like in real development teams) and build a web app.

Le Wagon has a very pedagogical approach: they know that you will struggle but they accompany you through the different steps of this learning experience. During the day, you work with another student to complete coding exercises. When you don’t know how to proceed, you may ask the help of a TA who would guide you (without giving you out the answer). Then you start to move up the learning curve, understand the logics of coding and unlock your brain potential. The bootcamp is intensive: you mustn’t give up even when it’s hard. The reward is worth the effort: there is nothing more satisfying than solving complicated problems (and fixing bugs in a program!).

What I especially liked about my experience at Le Wagon is that it was much more than learning web development. Thanks to them, I could not only feel more confident while writing code, but I also learned how to engineer and design products the start-up way. I would no longer waste time in building apps that consumers don’t need but keep focus on bringing added value. It sounds pretty simple like that, but believe me that before going to Le Wagon, I had thousands of ideas that were not viable.

At Le Wagon, I met a lot of wonderful people who all had a different background. Interacting with people who don’t come from the same industry as you do help you see things you couldn’t see before (in my batch, there were journalists, consultants, designers etc.). Whether you want to become developer, Product Owner, or start your own company, Le Wagon is a community of people bursting with energy. So, if you are looking for inspiration while learning programing, Le Wagon is definitely the place you have to go to.

Skilled in IP Law and Innovation Management I joined Le Wagon to get tech skills in an area that I've always found fascinating. I tried to learn how to code by myself but it was hard to know where to start, what to learn or select the most valuable data from the huge amount of information on the web. One of my best friends did Le Wagon a few years ago and I knew it was the best way to learn.

During the Bootcamp, everything was made to ensure that I would keep making progress. It was very rewarding to see that every day I could use what I learned during the day before without learning it by heart but in a rather more efficient way by doing exercises with my buddies. Besides, Le Wagon was not just about learning how to code but also being part of a community and meet people from different backgrounds, students, alumni or staff members always willing to share their experience (yes, beers were involved...!). The final weeks with my awesome team really made me realize that I had the new mindset and skills I was looking for and what I was now able to do.

It brought me tech & product skills, a fresh mindset and confidence in the career change I had not yet dared to embrace and that was more conform to my aspirations. Moreover, I made some good friends, with a common mindset and values during the Bootcamp, and it's still satisfying to feel to be part of this community.

Thanks to Le Wagon and the job support help, I'm now a fullstack web developer at Le Closet, a startup where I will keep coding and learning within a young, fun, talented and ambitious team.

I used to work at an English school in Japan and I needed to change my career.
I found Le Wagon and it was one of the best highlight of my career life. Also being developer seemed perfect career change for me.
Le wagon teaches you a lot in 9 weeks; it was tough and frustrating at the beginning  because I didn't know anything about programming.
However, after few weeks, you get what you were doing and learning how to code feels really fun. 
End of the bootcamp, I was really confident and really happy with myself.  

Also teachers are really friendly and helpful. It helped me a lot because they are passionate to teach you and they explain you really well.
I loved Yoga every Wednesday too. Also they have free tea and coffee!!! (I needed that)

Overall, everything was fun and I learnt a lot. Job hunting after finishing the bootcamp wasn't too bad. 
You can definitely can learn a lot,  and I strongly recommend this bootcamp if you want to change your career.

Hello everyone,

I just finished my bootcamp in september in le Wagon and i want to share this amazing experience with you.

I was a project manager in a creative agency and i worked on digital projects. I wanted to improve my knowledge and understand all this sector to manage web projects.

The programm is complete to understand and have fast skills. Teachers have good skills and are great they also help us a lot. People in our group was really nice and you meet new people everyday due to extra activities like conferences, drinks etc..

I managed a project (www.beatween.me) and that was for me the best experience of this program. In two weeks you have a functional project and you can show that in interview.

This was a amazing two months full of knowledge, meet people and good mood. I recommand it for everyone who want to learn how to code ! 

Thanks le Wagon !!

When I first thought about taking part in the Le Wagon boot-camp, the online reviews were a big selling point for me, which is why I decided to write this one. They seemed so good they were fake. Having completed the boot-camp I now get it, there are no fake reviews, they’ve just really nailed the process, so that everyone leaves with a great foundation in coding, a new network of like minded developers and entrepreneurs and a fantastic experience.

I went in with zero coding knowledge and left with the ability to make a complex website.
It’s important to note that this didn’t come easily. The boot-camp is very intense, it’s not a wishy-washy part-time course. It’s all consuming, for 9 weeks. This is exactly what I wanted, because to learn to code I believe you have to really break the back of it. Learn to think like a developer and how to problem solve – and this is what Le Wagon gave me.

As a modern languages student I am lucky in the sense that I have a very broad degree, but unlucky that it doesn’t allow me to leave university with expertise in a specific sector. I’m interested in tech and start-ups and I thought that in order to start a career in that world, a basic coding literacy would be fundamental. Le Wagon taught me so much more than a basic literacy and in the final two weeks I was able to put this to use by developing an MVP for my own start-up idea. More than this, the boot-camp is very career driven, they run CV and career workshops as well as organising 1 on 1 meetings with recruiters. For me it was the perfect start for launching a career in tech.

As a serial entrepreneur, I have always been keen on creating innovative companies in sectors in great need. Focused on new consumption patterns and the digitalisation of our society, my career reveals a deep interest in technology and the various digital professions. Attracted by data management and the automation of these, I learnt during my higher education the algorithmic approach and programming. However, the learning methods were far from my expectations. I therefore “temporarily” put aside computer programming and devoted myself exclusively to the development of my companies. Self-taught, I resumed learning how to code. But it was very slow... I was missing an educational path and a clear goal. I then decided to join Le Wagon’s Bootcamp which fully met my expectations: to focus on coding for nine weeks in order to create a first functional web application. This is concrete! In addition, having had the opportunity to interact with web agencies, I am now ready to challenge their proposals. Indeed, it is more complex to exchange around a proposal or a quote that you do not understand! Meeting people and learning teamwork with an agile methodology directly related to the needs and the operations of the startup are also part of Le Wagon’s program. Now I am ready.

Before deciding on Le Wagon I did extensive research on the different coding bootcamps available. After reading Le Wagon’s reviews and what their company was all about, I was sold. I applied, went through the interview process and booked my ticket to Lisbon to become part of Batch 162.

Within the first week we went from being strangers to one big family. Le Wagon’s team went above and beyond to make sure we were getting more than what we signed up for. From planning dinners every Friday, to providing us with workshops, and inviting us to local networking events. Our days were intense but in a good way. We’d code for hours learning from each other and helping each other out. The teachers and TA’s were passionate and very knowledgeable, making sure we understood everything and not just giving us the answer. 

After the day was over we’d all go out for a few beers to destress and talk about something else other than infinite loops, arrays and anything else coding related. These were by far some of the best conversations I’ve had. Learning about everyone’s background, what their dreams and goals were after finishing the bootcamp was incredibly inspiring and motivational for me. Our friendships have continued even after the bootcamp and Le Wagon does a great job of keeping us involved in the community. As well as letting us know of any new job opportunities. 

I am an entrepreneur at heart with a background in international business, graphic design, web development and industrial design. I attended six different universities before deciding to become a college drop out. I wanted to graduate but felt like the educational system was never enough and took too long. As soon as I arrived to Le Wagon Lisbon I knew i was exactly where I was supposed to be. I may not have graduated from a university but I did graduate from Le Wagon’s Batch 162 and to me that is just as valuable (if not more) than a paper certifying my education. Why? because I went to Le Wagon to learn to code and I left with so much more than I could’ve imagined. They gave me the tools to succeed even after the bootcamp is over.

If you love to travel, meet new people and have a passion for coding. Do yourself a favor and choose Le Wagon. You won’t regret it.

Before Le Wagon I studied International Business Administration in Frankfurt. I decided to learn coding because I think it is a crucial skill to have in this world and because I wanted to be able to make my ideas become a reality. I liked Le Wagon's curriculum and applied to Barcelona.

The camaraderie felt in the boot camp, and on the other hand all the individual little riddles one got to solve were my favorite things during the 9 weeks. Plus, Barcelona is great.

Overall, it was a very fulfilling experience and if you're thinking about it, simply do it!

Back in January, I decided to leave Carrefour, where I had spent almost 6 years at different positions, the last one being Commercial Director. I needed fresh air.
After a few months doing consulting in change management, helping leaders of big companies find ways to involve their employees in cultural or organizational transformation processes, I decided to attend Le Wagon Bootcamp from July to September!
To be honest, I never really told myself I wanted to become a web developer, but I was more interested in experimenting something completely new. And I must admit that I got the fresh air I was looking for! Not only did I enjoy learning coding languages and tools, but I also loved being part of an incredible 9-week adventure, along with students with very diverse backgrounds and projects, and coached by amazing teachers. I thought the pedagogical experience was fantastic, and everything is done so that we can step into the tech world and its very own culture : the adorable staff that helps us with anything including job search, the wild place where we study every day next to actual entrepreneurs, the enriching professional meetups and lectures that are frequently organized, and of course the memorable afterworks!
As far as I am concerned, I am not sure yet about my next move, but whether it is a personal project or a job in a start-up, I know that what I learnt at Le Wagon (not only the code itself!) will be an extraordinary resource!
In a nutshell, whatever your profile is, whatever your plan may be, Le Wagon is an adventure that I can only recommend. You won’t regret it!

Le Wagon has been a life changing experience for me. I used to work at Conde Nast in New York City then moved to London. I was starting an app with my sister and got frustrated not being able to understand the web developers we were working with. I decided to put the project on hold and enrol at le Wagon London. At first, the program was hard but after a few weeks all made sense. During the program, I met my business partner, with who I now have a company called Socialive TV. We launched a little under a year ago and couldn’t be happier. Without le Wagon none of this could have happened!

I had the opportunity to create a website back in 2012 with WordPress and was successful at developing an audience and driving a good amount of people to it. The website turned out great, it did everything I wanted but it was really painful when I had to jump on the backend of WordPress for example to adapt the PHP code.

After studying marketing I got to discover the wonderful world of growth hacking. In other words how marketers accelerate growth by using digital marketing. "Unfortunately", for both product and growth hacking strategies you need to code and I didn’t know how (frustrating!). As a freelance web-designer and digital marketer coding is essential to succeed and provide your clients with the best service possible.

Hearing about Le Wagon as the best coding bootcamp in the world, I started looking around at each one of the numerous camps dotted around the world. I thought to myself if I learn to code, the ideal environment is where nobody is going to disturb me, plus if I spend 2 months in front of a computer, well let’s at least pick a great place to study. This is why I chose to go to Bali.

As you may expect, Bali is a little paradise, but what I didn’t know is how many digital nomads and coworking spaces you can find here. And right in the middle of this tropical tech scene you'll find Le Wagon Bali on top of a rooftop looking straight at the blue lagoon. We were a group of 25 students from all around the world of 14 different nationalities, different backgrounds and ages. We teamed up with a different person every day to face the coding challenge of the day.

The first 3 weeks were the biggest challenge for me learning the core concepts and how to program using Ruby. Some days are frustrating but you will feel you are in the same boat as everyone even if you don’t know anything about coding. You will be able to ask the teacher as many questions as you need to solve the challenges each day. What is really impressive of Le Wagon is the platform they developed which is common in all Le Wagon bootcamps around the world. We all have the same program and tools to drive us through exercises and give us feedback on how well we perform. It's simply genius knowing if you made it with style or not (you'll understand this one once you are student)!

In the 2 months you will become autonomous and get through fundamentals of programming, databases, Ruby frameworks, API and many more amazing skills needed to become a junior full stack developer. All this until you arrive at the project stage. This is where you learn how to create an Airbnb clone in only 5 days and then jump into a project you or your campmates had pitched in front of everyone like you would have done in front of a VC or an incubator.

When you start coding your own product, it is where you discover how much you have learned but also how crazy these super powers are now. In 10 days you create amazing functional products - it is your MVP. We were all really proud of the products we created when we presented them at the end of the camp during demo day. Believe me, I was so surprised by how great everyone’s projects came out.

So, if you are looking to know more about all this magic that makes the web such a wonderful place or want to develop web projects or like me gain more knowledge and learn new skills to realize your own ideas and work in growth hacking or any other tech job, you definitely should think about joining Le Wagon. You will simply treat yourself to being future proof. Just be aware that these 2 months will be anything but chilled and instead expect to spend around 10 hours a day coding in an amazing environment with dedicated and passionate teachers and other hungry students who want to master web development.

At the end of these amazing two months, you get lifelong access to Le Wagon’s Slack channels and all the exercises you have done, which if you like you can reset and redo them all. Plus, you get access to tons of resources to continue the journey of becoming a coding rock star.

Before I joined Le Wagon bootcamp, I already had some curiosity regarding coding for some years. However, I never persued it as a career.
I studied business and finance, and later worked at a consulting company for a couple of years. I was very unsatisfied with my life as I was not enjoying what I was doing and was having a hard time figuring out what I wanted to do with my life.
Then Le Wagon came up. I saw an ad on Instagram, and started reading some reviews. I eventually found out that a previous classmate that I had worked with in uni (Manuel Reis) was doing the bootcamp, and so I texted him and he recommended it greatly.
So then I applied, doing Codecademy on my spare time, reading about tech careers and talking with people in the industry.
At the beginning, I was not expecting to get hired directly after the Bootcamp. I saw Le Wagon as an opportunity to get technical skills to build my business, as I thought that that was I would be doing next, since I already had business studies.
But as the classes started, I fell in love with coding. The mental stimulation, solving problems, thinking out of the box. Everyday felt like I had new puzzles to solve. And I was very excited to solve them. The teachers, the collaborative atmosphere, the learning methodology, everything that Le Wagon provided on a daily basis was essential for this crazy and rewarding learning adventure.

Would I recommend it? In one word: absolutely.  A life changer!  Totally worth the money (I know it's expensive, but it will pay off). And it is much more than coding. It is about making the students believing that they are capable of anything. The community is great, and I feel that the students and the teachers are my friends and are there to help me, even after the bootcamp.
I'm definitly hanging out with them after my working/studying schedule, which is super cool. Good job!