SoftStack Factory

SoftStack Factory is a great place to start if you want to learn how to code because this program provides with fundamental knowledge of programming. I had zero knowledge and skills of how to code, but just after a few months I’ve made huge progress and started developing web applications. The instructors are very helpful, they are not going to give you an answer right away, but they will help you come to the right answer yourself. Under their supervision, I saved so much time and struggle. The decision to go through this Bootcamp was the best decision I have ever made.  

SoftStack Factory is a fantastic start for anyone looking to transition to a software development career or just learn some programming basics. I recommend doing some free bootcamp prep course before you start the program so you can be solidifying your fundamentals while going through the first phase. This will really be helpful when you start the second phase, as the MEAN Stack course comes at you fast with a lot of new concepts. From the second phase onwards, you will begin building projects and getting experience with mostly frontend and some backend programming. The final group project gives you a taste of collaborating with a team and building a larger scale application. 

This, and I doubt any, bootcamp will have you prepared to enter right into an entry level programming job unless you have previous experience. The class meets Monday and Wednesday from 6-10, which the instructors will usually lecture on new topics and then proceed to giving challenges or time for working on projects. With the limited class time available, it is a program in which the more time and effort you invest in it out of class the more you will learn. The instructors and especially the program director, Peter, are great at steering you in the right direction when you inevitably get stuck. Overall, Softstack has a great learning environment and is an incredible opportunity at only a few hundred dollars, not thousands, to get the bootcamp jump into programming. 

Attending this bootcamp was an amazing experience with a very open staff that genuinely want you to succeed. Your welcomed and encouraged to work on your projects in an environment where you can be nudged in the right direction when stuck and instructed on the proper frame in which to think about problems. As with anything, you'll get what you put in. I've asked and been helped by Peter so many times, almost to the point of abuse!

That being said, there will be a lot to learn, even after the bootcamp. If you are comming into development from a non IT/computer science background, prepare to put in a lot of hard work for a significant portion of your life before your ready to take up even a basic entry level role. 

While you can learn web development and frameworks on your own, the real value of attending SoftStackFactory lies in the mentorship you'll receive, which will save you a lot of time being stuck.

Those that will benefit the most have an unwavering bright outlook and are passionate about learning any software technology, even if its not part of the curriculum. 

SoftStack is a wonderfulgroup that is very successful in giving people the tools they need to get into development/data/IT/tech. This is not a $10,000 bootcamp that promises you a job, it's a group of hard-working people who like learning and teaching. My experience was incredible and gave me the tools to get into a sweet database job (I do a lot of work in SQL, Excel, and Access) by giving me a strong foundation in web development and problem solving. One of SoftStack's biggest strengths, and weaknesses, is that this organization is constantly growing and adapting. This is great because they are learning with each iteration but this can also sometimes lead to confusion and, at times, disorganization. I think it's important that prospective applicants understand how this program differs from the more expensive options and weigh this against what they are looking to gain. I wanted to gain knowledge and options which I eventually capitalized on. Others in my cohort wanted immediate jobs and quit/gave up/got little to nothing out of it. SoftStack is hungry for people willing to learn and caters to them rather than to those who just thought that it might be a job factory development bootcamp. Harold is kind of weird and eccentric but he has brought together some amazing mentors and has the best intentions with this program. Danilo is frickin awesome and Peter is a super hard worker. So much good stuff here and even more potential. Much love to SoftStack and all the homies in my cohorts.

Non-profit coding boot camp where you learn how to code in Javascript and pick up basic web development skills.  The boot camp is separated into two parts: eight weeks of study and eight weeks working on a team project.  The boot camp classes are twice a week in the evenings (6:00pm to 10:00pm)  so it’s perfect for people who are studying or working in the day time.  Also since it’s a nonprofit, it doesn’t cost thousands of dollars like the other boot camps in the area and they only ask for you to make a small donation of 300 dollars.  The facilitators you’ll work with are friendly too, and they genuinely care that you learn. 

You will learn basic front-end development skills (HTML/CSS) as well as back-end development and setting up a database (MongoDB). After learning how to code in Javascript, you’ll learn the Angular framework for web development and work with Node.js.  

 

This bootcamp was a bit of a lifesaver, I couldn't manage working a traditional bootcamp AND working my full-time job, yet was dying to know more about coding and programming. This checked all the boxes for me and actually received more when it came to my expectations for such a bargain of a price. I was able to quickly get to coding and begin creating my own web applications in as little as a few weeks. I did go through the entire course regimen and was asked to stay to gain more experience...all without any extra pay from me! I currently just graduated and am actively creating my own projects and portfolio, i couldn't be happier with such a great start.

When you're done trying to learn on your own through all of the free online resources, this is the place to be. When trying to get up to speed and job ready, this material is where it's easy to hit a wall and find things difficult. The faculty at Softstack will provide the curriculum, but the hard work is still up to you. When you finally succeed after putting in the effort it will be incredibly rewarding. The big difference between Softstack and going it on your own is the faculty. They are clearly invested in their students, and having them available to bounce questions off of when you are actually stuck is great for getting over road blocks. If you're thinking about it, just take the leap and give this place a shot.

Compared to other bootcamps, SoftStack is practically free, but unlike most free things, there is no catch. The instructors are great and really care about you. It’s a great environment to learn in. Wish they would offer some sort of advanced MEAN Stack course, I would’ve easily stayed another few months. Looking back, I wish they went deeper into backend stuff, but there’s only so much you can cover in the time allowed. There’s no official career services, but they genuinely care about you and try to help you prepare for the job market. If you’re thinking about learning how to code, I don’t see why you would go anywhere else than SoftStack.

I had done a fair amount of research looking for a decent bootcamp that didn't cost an arm and a leg so I was well aware of the average cost of a bootcamp and I was sure that there had to be a catch when I first read about Soft Stack. I can assure you that Soft Stack is real, there is no catch and more than that, the instructors and people who run it are deeply invested in the personal growth of the students and the program as a whole. I would recommend this program a hundred times to anyone who lives in San Diego. The knowlege I gained during this course helped me immediately land a job that I otherwise would not have been qualified for.

I highly recommend Soft Stack Factory.

I attended the Softstack Factory cohort that started in July of 2018, I found the program on Facebook where someone had recommended it, I applied because the price was right, I had always been anti bootcamp because to me they all seemed to be like the technical schools you hear horror stories about where they push out graduates that end up with a useless piece of paper and no actual job skills.

That was not the experience at SSF. The program at SoftStack is designed to give you the real world skills that you need to be a web developer. While many bootcamps focus mainly on interview prep and helping you build skills for a resume this course teaches you the things that you'll actually need to know in order to be a developer.

The program I attended was the MEAN stack, (Mongo, Express, Angular, and Node) so it was all Javascript based with the right amount of focus on simple languages like HTML and CSS. Before attending I had been self-teaching for 3 years and freelancing with WordPress, I was decent at CSS, but Javascript was my kryptonite, no matter how much money I poured into online courses I couldn't get it, in a sense, attending this Bootcamp was my last ditch effort to understand and Javascript.

Within one month I had a better understanding of Javascript and was more comfortable, capable and knowledgable than I was while trying to self teach for 3 years. The program really drives fundamental JS into your head before moving into node based frameworks which is what you need in order to be successful, if JS isn't your thing, It's no problem because with any programming language you're learning the concept and the language/syntax is just a small difference that you can pick up, after SSF my PHP skills drastically improved because of the concepts that were taught.

My cohort ended in Mid December, one week before my cohort ended I actually accepted a job as a front end developer and had many other very successful interviews. 

After speaking with my new CTO, and fellow developers, they all praised the SSF program because as I mentioned earlier in this review SSF focuses on teaching you real-world application of Javascript/Programming rather than the fluff that just prepares you for interviewing and whiteboard questions.

 

My advice to anyone looking to attend:

The first portion of the course seems trivial, but it's simply because they're teaching you the skills you'll need in an easy to digest manner, you'll thank yourself for putting max effort into this portion when you advance in the course.

Don't do the minimum - Spend time in addition to class studying more advanced concepts, dive deep into ES6, angular, rxjs etc. The more time you spend studying, the more advanced concepts you look into, the more you'll get out of this program. Not to say that this program falls short, because they fit a lot of content into a short period of time, but you'll really excel if you put in the extra time.

Ask questions in class, don't be afraid, I never asked questions, then I'd be at home doing the projects wishing I had.

What I would change:

Not much, if anything I'd just want the program to be longer.

I took SoftStack Factory MEAN-Stack Bootcamp this year, and it has been an useful and rewarding educational experience. 

I would definitely recommend to everyone to take this 24-week Full stack Javascript program, if you want to learn Javascript from scratch and prepare to learn more ways to work with Javascript in the future.

Course curriculum is the well-structured and provides a solid understanding of core theoretical concepts and their practical applications.

Thank to Peter for his approach to teach the lectures, for all his systematic organization of all materials and actually care about their students. I thoroughly enjoyed the class and got a lot of support.

The course is very intensive and comprehensive. You will create apps using a the MEAN Stack and learn how to build hybrid mobile applications with the Ionic framework.

Join SoftStack Factory and take your skills to the next level!