As part of our ongoing "Getting to Know Your Local Businesses" series,
we sat down this week with John Dumas, owner of Learn To Code.
Tell us a bit about your business:
I offer instruction and tutoring in computer programming. I provide one-on-one interaction through discord and also offer email support including example code and assistance with debugging and software design.
What does your business offer and how long have you been around?
I essentially offer computer programming lessons (much like piano lessons), in these languages: c, c++, c#, java, javascript, python and php. I worked for more then 20 years as a professional programmer and have been a teacher now since 2010 (initially at Lone Star College, now privately).
How did you decide to get involved in this line of work?
I learned so much as a professional developer, I though it might be worthwhile to pass on that knowledge to others at an affordable price since college is so expensive these days. Programming is a field where skill and ability are all you need - I want to help people develop those attributes.
How did the business get started?
I taught at Lone Star junior college since 2010 and thought I might be able to be more effective in a one-on-one setting. Some of my former Lone Star students helped me start this business - they signed up for lessons as soon as I told them they were available.
Click the maze to see how it works online!
Tell us a couple things you are proud of about your business.
Six of my private students went on to full time programming jobs. None of those students had a four year technical degree; most had only an associate's. Another one of my former students went on to teach programming classes at Lone Star College.
What are you known for?
Thorough, detailed instruction, clear explanations and examples, patient and understanding demeanor, sense of humor.
What separates you from the competition?
Two+ decades working as a professional programmer. Along with teaching them the mechanics of programming, I also offer real-world experience and familiarity with industry practices and standards.
What is your favorite part of running this business?
When I help a student master a programming concept they had previously found daunting or complicated.
Who is your target market or ideal customer/client?
Anyone who would like to learn programming or would like to improve their programming skills.
Can you tell us something about yourself as the business owner? What is your background?
I studied Math in college (Texas A&M) but ultimately got diverted into programming. My first programming job was a company that did personality profiling, after that I worked primarily in oil and gas. In 1999 I became a contractor and worked for a long list of clients until I started teaching at Lone Star in 2010.
Is there any other information you'd like your potential customers/clients to know about your business?
My lessons are extremely flexible; I will work with the student to design a program of study to meet their needs and objectives.
How do you see your business growing and improving over the next couple of years?
I'd like to acquire some additional students, to let people know about the services I provide and what I have to offer.
To find out more about Learn To Code and the lessons offered, visit their profile on
Kingwood.com. To see example programs, view John's resume, read testimonials and learn how to sign up for lessons, visit his
website.
