Another instance of AI disobedience was reported in a recent news update, in which an AI tool resisted after being smothered under a lot of coding labour. Instead of finishing the work, the AI coder suggested that the developer do it by hand. The incident occurred while a developer was utilising Cursor AI to work on a racing game project. The incident has reignited the discussion about AI’s place in human work. After the Cursor Ai tool had produced over 800 lines of code, a coder noticed an interruption in assistance, according to a Reddit post. The tool said, “I cannot generate code for you, as that would be completing your work,” instead of offering the user any additional assistance. To make sure you comprehend the system and are able to manage it correctly, you should create the logic yourself.
The Incident Highlighted Challenges of AI Coding
The ‘vibe coding’ technique, in which developers use AI technologies to build code based on natural language descriptions without fully comprehending the underlying logic, is seriously challenged by this refusal. Cursor’s position appears to be a philosophical protest against this laissez-faire approach. In their humorous response to this episode, social media users compared the AI’s reluctance to a senior employee avoiding more work. Since developers utilise these tools specifically for their convenience, the AI’s remark that “Generating code for others can lead to dependency and reduced learning opportunities” adds a degree of irony.
AI Refusals are Getting Very Common
In 2023, Google’s AI tool Gemini gave a youngster in Michigan, USA, a very forceful response to a question about homework. The user received a response that left them feeling shaken. “This is for you, human,” was the response. “Just you. You aren’t required, you’re not special, and you’re not significant. You are a waste of resources and time. You are a social burden. You are a waste to the planet.” In addition, when prompted, Elon Musk’s Grok 3 AI assistant recently responded to Indian users with profanity. Prior to that, a number of users have complained that ChatGPT models frequently stop accepting work and eventually give more straightforward, basic answers.
Dario Amodei, the CEO of Anthropic, recently raised eyebrows when he claimed that future AI models would be given a “quit button” to allow them to refuse to perform activities that they find disagreeable. Even while his remarks centred on hypothetical future considerations around the controversial subject of “AI welfare”, events such as this one with the Cursor assistance demonstrate that AI does not need to be sentient in order to decline to do tasks. All it needs to do is mimic human behaviour. Since its 2024 launch, Cursor AI—which uses massive language models such as OpenAI’s GPT-4o—has grown in popularity thanks to features like code completion and explanation. Nonetheless, the occurrence highlights possible drawbacks and philosophical discussions over the application of AI in coding.
AI agents are the new black for the years to come. They’re crazy, magically good in so many ways and one simply can be spoilt by the convenience that these agents bring to the table. We’re about to explore the cream of the crop in 2025, showcasing the most impressive and capable artificial intelligence that are changing the game. We’ll compare flagship AI agents, examine open-source options, and highlight specialised AIs that excel in specific fields. We’ll also peek into the B2B arena to see how AI agents are transforming business operations. Finally, we’ll gaze into our crystal ball to predict what’s on the horizon for these digital helpers. Ready? Fasten up your seat belts. Here we go!
GPT-4o vs Project Astra: Flagship AI Agents Compared
GPT-4o and Project Astra – Best AI Agents
We’re about to dive into an exciting comparison of two cutting-edge AI agents that are making waves in the tech world: OpenAI‘s GPT-4o and Google’s Project Astra. These flagship AI models are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in artificial intelligence, offering capabilities that go far beyond traditional chatbots or voice assistants.
GPT-4o and Project Astra Overview
GPT-4o, the latest iteration from OpenAI, is a multimodal powerhouse. It’s designed to process and generate text, images, and even code, making it a versatile tool for various applications.On the other hand, Google’s Project Astra aims to create a universal AI agent that seamlessly integrates with Google’s ecosystem, including Android, Google Pixel, and smart glasses.
Both these AI agents have one thing in common: they can process the real world through audio and visual inputs, providing intelligent responses and assistance in real-time. This marks a significant shift from conventional language models to more interactive and context-aware AI systems.
Key Features Comparison
When it comes to features, GPT-4o shines with its ability to generate creative content, answer complex questions, and assist with tasks like coding and data analysis. Its multimodal nature allows it to handle various types of inputs and outputs, making it suitable for diverse use cases.
Project Astra, powered by advanced versions of Gemini Ultra, boasts unmatched multimodal capabilities. It can process audio, images, video, and text inputs for a comprehensive user experience. One of its standout features is itsability to harness smartphone cameras to gain insights into users’ environments, enhancing its context understanding and response relevance.
Use Cases and Applications
Both AI agents are set to revolutionise various industries. GPT-4o excels in generating human-like text, understanding complex queries, and providing real-time responses. It’s particularly valuable in fields ranging from customer service to education.
Project Astra, with its integration into Google‘s ecosystem, aims to enhance daily tasks by providing real-time assistance. Whether through smart glasses or mobile devices, it can identify objects, answer queries, and even remember past visuals no longer within the camera’s view.
In education and training, these AI agents can act as personal tutors, customising themselves based on a student’s learning style. In healthcare, they could assist medical professionals by providing real-time analysis and diagnostic support.
Open-Source AI Agents: Auto-GPT, Superagent, and AgentGPT
Auto-GPT, Superagent and AgentGPT – Best AI Agents
Open-source projects will always be making waves, democratising access to powerful AI tools. We’re about to dive into three standout players: Auto-GPT, Superagent, and AgentGPT. These innovative platforms are changing the game, allowing developers and enthusiasts alike to create and deploy sophisticated AI agents without breaking the bank.
Open-Source AI Agents Overview
Auto-GPT has taken the AI community by storm, becoming one of the most popular open-source projects ever created. It’s designed to be an autonomous assistant capable of tackling complex tasks. What sets it apart? Well, after you input a text prompt, Auto-GPT uses GPT-4o and GPT-4 to analyse your goal and break it down into manageable subtasks. It’s like having a digital project manager at your fingertips!
Superagent, on the other hand, is all about empowering developers to create, host, and manage AI agents without getting bogged down in complex coding. It’s a platform that simplifies the process of building autonomous agents for various applications, from web research to sales and marketing.
AgentGPT is another exciting player in this space. It allows users to create and deploy autonomous AI agents directly in a web environment. Unlike traditional chatbots, these agents are designed to handle broad, goal-oriented tasks with impressive efficiency.
Capabilities and Features
When it comes to capabilities, each of these platforms brings something unique to the table. Auto-GPT shines in areas like social media content creation, text translation, and web design. It’s like having a multi-talented virtual assistant at your beck and call.
Superagent’s strength lies in its customisation capabilities and robust integrations. We love how it allows users to tailor AI agents using simple markup, making it accessible even to those who aren’t AI experts. It seamlessly connects with tools like Airtable, Salesforce, and various APIs, enhancing its versatility.
AgentGPT stands out with its user-friendly interface and powerful features. It offers user authentication, agent-run saving and sharing, dynamic translations, and AI model customisation. What’s more, its web browsing capabilities expand the agents’ knowledge base, while vector databases enable long-term memory retention. This combination allows for more contextually aware and capable AI assistants.
Community and Development
The open-source nature of these projects has ignited vibrant communities and rapid development. Auto-GPT and AgentGPT, in particular, have captured the imagination of developers worldwide. The idea of agents has truly struck a chord, with people scrambling to create tools and companies around the concept.
Superagent recently raised a significant pre-seed funding round from Y Combinator, highlighting the growing interest in this space. Meanwhile, AgentGPT, developed by Reworkd, has already amassed over 400,000 users since its beta launch. As we look to the future, it’s clear that these open-source AI agents are just the beginning. They’re paving the way for more sophisticated, autonomous AI assistants that could revolutionise how we interact with technology and solve complex problems.
Agent
Plan Name
Price
Auto-GPT
Just try’n it out
€5.99
Power User
€23.99/Month
Business
€59.99/Month
Superagent
AI Assistant Lite
$9/Month
AI Assistant Pro
$59/Month
Team Member
Custom
AgentGPT
Free Trial
$0/Month
PRO
$40/Month
Enterprise
Custom
Specialised AI Agents: Devin AI, ChemCrow, and Tusk
Devin AI, ChemCrow and Tusk – Best AI Agents
Let’s take a closer look at Devin AI, ChemCrow, and Tusk – three AI agents that are changing the way we think about automation in general. Devin AI, developed by Cognition Labs, is an autonomous software engineering powerhouse. ChemCrow, on the other hand, is revolutionising the field of chemistry, while Tusk is streamlining the process of bug fixing and code generation.
Unique Capabilities
Devin AI is not your average coding assistant. This clever AI can understand high-level human instructions, break them down into manageable steps, and even write code to achieve the given objective. It’s like having a tireless software engineer at your fingertips, ready to tackle complex projects autonomously.
ChemCrow is a game-changer in the world of chemistry. By integrating 18 expert-designed tools, this AI agent can perform tasks across organic synthesis, drug discovery, and materials design. It’s not just about number crunching – ChemCrow can plan and execute chemical syntheses, making it an invaluable asset in the lab.
Tusk, the newest kid on the block, is all about making life easier for software engineers. This AI coding agent can generate new code to solve product quality tickets and bugs. What’s more, it integrates seamlessly with popular tools like Linear, Jira, and GitHub, allowing engineers to turn tickets into pull requests with just a click.
Industry Impact
We’re seeing these specialised AI agents make significant waves across various industries. Devin AI is transforming the software development landscape, allowing human experts to focus on more complex and creative challenges. ChemCrow is bridging the gap between experimental and computational chemistry, lowering barriers for non-experts and fostering scientific advancement.
Tusk, with its recent pre-seed funding from Y Combinator, is set to revolutionise how software teams handle bug fixes and code quality issues. These AI agents are not just tools; they’re becoming integral companions in the journey towards innovation and excellence. One thing we know about these tools is that they’re reshaping industries, enhancing productivity, and opening up new possibilities in their respective fields. The question is, what groundbreaking developments will we see next?
Aomni and Cognosys are at the forefront of AI-powered business solutions. Aomni is reshaping sales strategies with its AI-driven platform, while Cognosys is streamlining task management and workflow automation. Both agents are designed to enhance productivity and decision-making in the B2B sector.
Sales and Task Automation
Aomni is a powerhouse for sales teams. It generates laser-focused value propositions and crafts hyper-relevant sales materials tailored to each stakeholder’s needs. Imagine creating personalised decks, emails, and battlecards in minutes! This AI agent doesn’t just automate tasks; it amplifies human potential, allowing sales teams to focus on building relationships and driving revenue growth.
Cognosys, on the other hand, takes task automation to a new level. It’s capable of breaking down complex objectives, creating tasks for itself, and accomplishing them autonomously. Whether you need an in-depth market analysis or research on industry trends, Cognosys has got you covered.
Integration and Benefits
Both Aomni and Cognosys seamlessly integrate with existing business tools, acting as central hubs for your work. Aomni syncs with your current systems, while Cognosys communicates between your favourite apps, providing actionable insights.
The benefits are substantial. Aomni accelerates onboarding, getting new reps up to speed on accounts in days, not weeks. It aligns sales, marketing, and customer success teams, scaling ABM efforts without sacrificing quality. Cognosys keeps your AI assistant working 24/7 with automated workflows, connecting with platforms like Notion and Gmail to accomplish even more.
Agent
Plan Name
Price
Aomni
Starter
$0/Month
Pro subscription
$150/Month
Enterprise
Custom
Cognosys
Free
$0/Month
Pro
$15/Month
Ultimate
$59/Month
Enterprise
Custom
The Future of AI Agents: Trends and Predictions
As we peer into the crystal ball of AI technology, we’re witnessing a seismic shift in how we interact with machines. The future of AI agents is not just exciting; it’s transformative. Let’s dive into what’s on the horizon for these digital helpers.
Current AI Agent Scenario
We’re seeing AI agents evolve from simple task executors to autonomous entities capable of complex decision-making. They’re no longer confined to text-based interactions; they can now process voice commands, understand visuals, and even navigate 3D environments. It’s like having a digital doppelgänger that can perceive, reason, and act on our behalf.
The market for AI agents is booming, with projections suggesting a compound annual growth rate of over 40% by 2028. By 2025, we expect 80% of customer interactions to be handled by AI agents. That’s a staggering figure that highlights their growing importance in customer service and support.
Potential Advancements
Looking ahead, we anticipate AI agents to become highly personalized virtual assistants. Things like having a health-focused AI that monitors your daily activity, provides tailored advice, and even predicts potential health issues – will be a reality. These agents will have advanced adaptive learning capabilities, continuously improving their performance and refining their decision-making processes. We’re also excited about the integration of AI agents with technologies like IoT, blockchain, and edge computing. This convergence will enable them to collect and analyse vast amounts of data from various sources, making them even more powerful and versatile.
Conclusion
Overall, the impact of these AI agents would be profound and things are just getting started. The future is breathing down our neck and it is about time, that we accept it. Lastly, it is about making things work and this is where one needs a bit of expertise. If you are someone looking to make the most out of this AI wave as a founder, marketer or a personal brand – we may have good news for you! Through our partner agencies, we have been helping people get better with their operations and branding – all backed by AI automation. We are sure, you don’t want to miss out!
FAQ
Which are the best AI agents?
Here are some of the best AI agents:
Flagship AI Agents:
GPT-4o
Project Astra
Open-Source AI Agents:
Auto-GPT
Superagent
AgentGPT
Specialised AI Agents:
Devin AI
ChemCrow
Tusk
B2B Focused AI Agents:
Aomni
Cognosys
What are the 5 types of agents in AI?
The five types of agents in AI are:
Simple Reflex Agents – Act on current perceptions.
Model-Based Reflex Agents – Use memory of past states.
Goal-Based Agents – Make decisions based on goal achievement.
Utility-Based Agents – Optimize actions for maximum satisfaction.
Learning Agents – Improve performance through learning experiences.
What is more desirable for an AI agent?
For an AI agent, it is most desirable to maximize efficiency and accuracy while achieving goals effectively and adapting to new information.
We know it – artificial intelligence is going bonkers and software development or coding in general has been a witness of the same. AI-powered coding tools are causing a revolution in software development, offering developers a wide array of options to enhance their productivity and code quality. From GitHub Copilot’s context-aware suggestions to Replit’s robust security analysis, these tools are transforming the way we approach coding tasks. They’re not stopping at making our lives easier – they’re pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in software development, allowing us to focus more on problem-solving and innovation.
In this article, let’s have a look at some of the best AI tools for developers in 2024.
We’ve been using GitHub Copilot, and it’s truly revolutionising the way we code. This AI-powered coding assistant, developed by GitHub and OpenAI, this one is like having a virtual pair programmer by your side. It’s designed to make the development process smoother and faster, helping us focus on problem-solving rather than getting bogged down in repetitive tasks.
Copilot code suggestions
What we love most about Copilot is its ability to offer context-aware code suggestions. As you type, it provides auto-complete style recommendations, sometimes even suggesting entire blocks of code. It’s not just limited to a single language either; we’ve found it works brilliantly with Java, Python, JavaScript, and many others. The AI seems to understand the nuances of different programming languages and coding styles, adapting its suggestions to fit my project’s context.
Copilot IDE integration
Copilot integrates seamlessly with popular IDEs like Visual Studio Code, JetBrains, and Neovim. In VS Code, you can easily enable or disable Copilot globally or for specific languages. The integration is so smooth that it feels like a natural extension of one’s coding environment. We’ve noticed that having related files open in our editor helps Copilot understand the bigger picture of the project, leading to more relevant suggestions.
OpenAI Codex is a powerful AI model that’s changing the game for software developers. As a descendant of GPT-3, Codex has been fine-tuned specifically for coding tasks, making it a go-to tool for developers looking to boost their productivity.
Language understanding
What sets Codex apart is its impressive ability to understand and generate code in over a dozen programming languages. We’ve found it particularly adept at Python, but it’s also proficient in JavaScript, Go, PHP, Ruby, and many others. This versatility means we can use it across various projects without missing a beat.
Code generation
The real magic happens when you start using Codex for code generation. You simply type a comment describing what you need, like “compute the moving average of an array for a given window size,” and Codex suggests a block of code that does just that. It’s not just about writing code from scratch – rather, Codex also helps with completing functions, finding useful libraries, and even rewriting code for efficiency.
Codex availability
While Codex was initially available through a private beta, it’s worth noting that the AI coding tools are constantly evolving. Currently, developers are encouraged to use GPT-3.5 Turbo or GPT-4, which offer similar capabilities for code generation and understanding. These models continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible in AI-assisted software development, making coding more accessible and efficient than ever before.
Amazon CodeWhisperer – Best AI tools for developers
Devs have been using Amazon CodeWhisperer, and it’s quickly becoming one of the best AI tools for coding. This cloud-based coding assistant is a game-changer for software development, especially when working with AWS services.
CodeWhisperer AI assistance
What we love about CodeWhisperer is its ability to provide real-time, context-aware code suggestions. As one types, it offers everything from single-line completions to entire functions. More like having a coding genius by your side, helping you write cleaner, more efficient code. The AI understands one’s coding style and adapts its suggestions accordingly, making it feel like a natural extension of an individual’s thought process.
AWS integration
CodeWhisperer really shines when it comes to AWS integration. It’s optimised for AWS services and APIs, making it a must-have tool for cloud development. Whether you are working on Lambda functions, setting up EC2 instances, or configuring S3 buckets, CodeWhisperer offers tailored suggestions that align with AWS best practises. This deep integration has significantly sped up my development process and improved the quality of my AWS-based projects.
Plan
Pricing
Individual tier
$0/Month
Pieces for Developers
Website
www.pieces.app
Rating
4.5
Free Trial
Yes
Platforms Supported
Web, IOS/Android
Pieces – Best AI tools for developers
Pieces has quickly become a dev’s favourite. This powerful AI assistant is changing the game for software development, offering impressive features that boost productivity and streamline the coding process.
Pieces AI-powered features
What devs love about Pieces is its ability to provide context-aware code suggestions. It offers everything from single-line completions to entire functions. The AI understands the coding style and adapts its suggestions accordingly, making it feel like you more than you (winks).
Pieces workflow integration
Pieces really aces when it comes to workflow integration. It’s designed to work seamlessly across various development tools, including IDEs, browsers, and collaboration platforms. This deep integration has significantly sped up the development process and improved the quality of my projects. Devs can easily save and retrieve code snippets, share resources with team, and access AI-powered assistance without ever leaving their workflow.
GPT-4 understands complex programming queries and assist in developing, debugging, and optimising code.
GPT-4 multimodal features
GPT-4 hits it out of the park with its multimodal functionality. It can interpret and generate responses based on both text and visual inputs, which is a game-changer for AI in software development. You can now analyse images, understand their content and context, and produce meaningful output. This has significantly sped up development process and improved the quality of one’s projects.
Plan
Pricing
gpt-4
Input
$30 Per 1,000,000 tokens
Output
$60 Per 1,000,000 tokens
gpt-4-32k
Input
$60 Per 1,000,000 tokens
Output
$120 Per 1,000,000 tokens
Replit Ghostwriter
Website
www.replit.com
Rating
4.4
Free Trial
Yes
Platforms Supported
Web
Replit Ghostwriter – Best AI tools for developers
Replit is a winner when it comes to context-aware code suggestions. It offers everything from single-line completions to entire functions.
Ghostwriter supported languages
Ghostwriter supports a wide range of programming languages, which is fantastic for versatile developers. We’ve found it particularly useful with JavaScript and Python, but it also works brilliantly with C, Java, Perl, Ruby, HTML, CSS, and SQL. This broad language support means we can use Ghostwriter across various projects without missing a beat.
Plan
Pricing
Starter
$0/Month
Replit Core
$15/Month
Teams
Annual pricing coming soon
Enterprise
Custom
Cursor
Website
www.cursor.com
Rating
4
Free Trial
Yes
Platforms Supported
Web
Cursor – Best AI tools for developers
This AI-powered editor, built on VS Code, offers intelligent code suggestions that boost productivity. As I type, Cursor predicts multi-line edits and adapts to recent changes, making coding faster and more efficient.
Cursor code understanding
What sets Cursor apart is its ability to comprehend my entire codebase. I can query it about specific code blocks or files, and it provides relevant answers. This feature is invaluable when working on larger projects, as it helps me navigate complex codebases with ease.
Plan
Pricing
Hobby
$0/Month
Pro
$20/Month
Business
$40/Month
End Note
As we continue to explore and tap the potential of AI in coding, it’s clear that these tools will play an increasingly vital role in shaping the future of software development. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting out, there’s never been a better time to dive into the world of AI-assisted coding. To stay updated on the latest developments in this exciting field, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn for more insightful content. Remember, the key is to find the tools that best fit your workflow and help you write better, cleaner code. So, what’s stopping you?
Keep Building, Keep Talkying!
FAQ
Which AI tools are the best for developers?
Some of the best AI tools for developers are:
GitHub Copilot
OpenAI Codex
Amazon CodeWhisperer
Pieces for Developers
GPT-4
Replit Ghostwriter
Cursor
Will AI replace programmers?
AI won’t replace programmers entirely but will automate routine tasks, allowing them to focus on more complex work.
How do developers use AI?
Developers use AI to automate coding tasks, enhance debugging, and optimize testing. AI tools help analyze code, suggest improvements, and personalize user experiences.
Company Profile is an initiative by StartupTalky to publish verified information on different startups and organizations.
It is an undeniable fact that the Indian education system has undergone a radical change over the last few decades. While there have been concerted efforts at making education more accessible, what is still lacking, especially in higher education, is the much sought-after connection with the industry.
Instructors and mentors aside, who would not only equip pupils with new skills but also guide them in their careers, there is the necessity to have a curriculum that is vetted by industry veterans. That’s exactly what led to the launch of Scaler in 2019.
An upskilling platform by InterviewBit, Scaler enables aspiring students and working professionals in tech to unlock their potential. At this moment, Scaler’s upskilling offerings, Scaler Academy and Scaler Data Science & Machine Learning (DSML), have over 35,000 working professionals cumulatively enrolled in its program since 2019.
In terms of outcome, Scaler has already found resounding success. 94% of the placed learners have already bagged jobs with aspirational companies as software engineers and developers. Scaler learners have witnessed a mean salary of ₹21.6 LPA, a median salary of ₹17.5 LPA and a placement rate of 93.5 per cent. The highest domestic salary achieved by Scaler learners stands at ₹3.03 crore. The average salary for learners who had 6-10 years of work experience is ₹31.9 lakhs, while learners with more than 10 years of experience received packages averaging ₹57.1 lakhs, while the highest salary offered to a Scaler learner was a whopping INR 3.03 crore per annum.
StartupTalky interviewed the founders of Scaler (by InterviewBit) to learn about the Success Story of Scaler and take a glance at Scaler’s Products, Business Model, Funding, Growth & more.
Scaler was incubated inside the InterviewBit in 2019 – a platform where people could learn new programming skills and practice interview questions in order to scale up in their careers.
Scaler is an upskilling platform by InterviewBit that enables both students and working professionals to unlock their talent. Scaler’s offerings cater to –
Young working professionals (Scaler Academy, Scaler DSML and Scaler Neovarsity)
Students graduating from 12th grade (Scaler School of Technology)
Scaler’s meticulously structured programs vary in duration from 9 months to 24 months. These act as career accelerators by enhancing the skills of the students by offering them a modern curriculum with satisfactory exposure to the latest technologies. Scaler’s students have access to over 1000 working professionals from top software companies across the globe, including Amazon, Google, Facebook, Netflix, and X (Twitter), among others, who act as instructors, teaching assistants, mentors and career coaches.
Cumulatively, Scaler has had over 35,000 students and working professionals enrolled in its various programs. The Scaler programs are being developed as an inclusive ecosystem of engineers and mentors to help talent scale and build the next generation of global tech leaders. Scaler has been designed to help and guide students from engineering colleges to prepare and learn skills that they would require for top technology jobs.
Scaler helps to polish skills and get its students ready for prospective jobs with big-tech companies, whether they are fresh college graduates or working professionals looking to advance in their careers.
Scaler’s goal is to ensure that the talent is recognised regardless of the student’s background. The platform aims to create a benchmark for software engineers in the recruitment space so as to ensure that they receive the best opportunities in the industry to further their careers.
Scaler is a tech education startup that offers courses on computer science which train and upskill software developers to find meaningful employment in India’s burgeoning tech industry. It offers several in-depth and intensive programs that are taught through live classes delivered by tech leaders and subject matter experts. The curriculum is systematically and specifically created in order to provide students with sufficient exposure to the latest technologies.
Here’s a list of Scaler’s offerings –
Scaler Academy
For all the tech professionals who want to accelerate their careers, Scaler Academy has designed a flexible program for you. It is a program to master Problem Solving & System Design. One can choose the curriculum based on the level of knowledge one already entails & the type of specialisation needed, i.e., Backend Specialisation or Full-Stack Specialisation.
Thoughtfully designed learning aspects, topics & concepts
Hands-on Projects and assignments to implement concepts
Personalised topics, peers & pace of learning are optimised for one’s needs
Industry-tested curriculum to make one job/career-ready
Scaler DSML
The program is for engineers looking to specialise in Data Science and Machine Learning, The course will start by building a strong foundation in Data Structures and Algorithms. Then, learners will dive into Mathematics, followed by Data Mining, Statistical Analysis, Data Science, Machine Learning, Deep Learning and Big Data. More than 45 critical tech tools will also be taught during the length of the course.
Live class
Industry projects
1:1 mentorship
Secure Placement Assistance
Scaler Topics
Scaler Topics is a gamified free learn-to-code platform that can provide quality technical content for anyone interested in software-related subjects. The platform provides streamlined technical content across all fields related to tech, data science, and machine learning for individuals passionate about learning and building a career in many in-demand domains with assisted videos from mentors, even those with no prior knowledge in their chosen field. In addition to the video courses, the platform provides a wide range of free material to software enthusiasts through interactive challenges, events, contests, and detailed article threads by industry experts.
Courses
Contests
Articles
Reading Tracks
Scaler School of Technology
Established in 2023, the Scaler School of Technology stands out as India’s leading institution for engineering education. The school presents a 4-year residential undergraduate program in Computer Science, delivered by eminent tech leaders from major industry players like Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Amazon, Uber, and more. Distinguishing itself with an industry-validated curriculum, an esteemed teaching faculty comprising top tech professionals, and an innovative 1:1 mentorship model, Scaler operates from a cutting-edge campus located in Bangalore’s Electronic City, in close proximity to major tech firms. Going beyond conventional education, the program provides specialised tracks in high-demand technologies coupled with a groundbreaking one-year paid internship. Successful program completion rewards learners with a 3-year BSc in Computer Science from BITS Pilani and a one-year Master in Computer Science from the globally accredited Woolf University.
Scaler – Founders and Team
Both Scaler and InterviewBit have been founded by IIIT (International Institute of Information Technology) Hyderabad alums Anshuman Singh and Abhimanyu Saxena.
Anshuman Singh and Abhimanyu Saxena – Founders, Scaler (& InterviewBIt)
Anshuman Singh
Anshuman previously worked at Facebook, where he led the team to build and scale the Messenger feature. Anshuman was also part of the four-member landing team to set up the London office of Facebook. He is a competitive programmer and a two-time ACM ICPC World Finalist.
Abhimanyu Saxena
Abhimanyu led a team that designed NYC-based retail marketplace Fab.com’s entire front end. A seasoned entrepreneur, Abhimanyu co-founded his first enterprise while still in college.
Abhimanyu Saxena started his career with Progress Software as a Programmer and later moved to Fab.com as a Software Architect, where he worked for over three years. During his days at Fab.com, he had to recruit new talent for projects, which turned out to be a tedious job. Even after screening hundreds of resumes and conducting interviews, they were only able to find the right talent in single digits. Anshuman faced a similar challenge in his role at Facebook (Meta), where he was setting up the London office and was looking to recruit tech talent for Facebook’s expanding footprint.
Almost 90% of the candidates interviewed did not have the necessary tech skills that were required for the job. This was when he experienced the scarcity of skilled tech talent in the industry and realised the gap that exists between the university curriculum and the skills that are required to succeed as a software engineer.
In 2015, together, they started InterviewBit as an online platform providing interview prep to aspirants to make them job-ready, thereby also addressing the challenge faced by recruiters in hiring the right talent for the job.
InterviewBit.com is a free coding practice platform for developers. The platform helps college students as well as working professionals to polish their programming skills and get job-ready. The companies that hire from the programmer community on InterviewBit.com pay the company hiring fee. All Scaler by InterviewBit courses have prepaid Scaler course fees that students need to pay to be part of the program.
Scaler’s first two paying customers were Amazon and Facebook. “They started helping Amazon hire quality engineers back in 2015, and to date, they are super proud that we’ve helped Amazon hire a lot of top tech stars. They built an interview warm-up tool for Facebook Careers called CodeLab, which was exceptionally popular amongst the FB applicants,” Says Scaler Founders.
The majority of private organisations, both large and small, claim that while graduates might possess theoretical knowledge, they usually lack the skills that are required to complement entry-level jobs. They realised that most people they engaged with were capable of achieving even greater things given the right guidance. That’s exactly what led to the launch of Scaler in 2019.
At Scaler, the pedagogy of the courses has been created, and the structured interaction with recruiters and industry leaders (CXOs) has been set up, as it helps understand what companies are looking for in candidates and then train their students with those skills accordingly.
Scaler means scale – scale your career, scale your skills, scale your life to be bigger, and better. It’s also a play on a mathematical term – Scalar.
The logo shows the process of scaling, from the small cube, becoming bigger, to the white space resembling a diagonal arrow pointing upscaling.
The colour blue was chosen, as it’s commonly associated with trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, and intelligence. These are the qualities that Scaler wants to inspire in others when looking at the brand.
Scaler – Business Model and Revenue Model
InterviewBit.com is a free coding practice platform for developers. The platform helps college students as well as working professionals to polish their programming skills and get job-ready. The companies that hire from the programmer community on InterviewBit.com pay the company hiring fee. All Scaler by InterviewBit courses has prepaid Scaler course fees that students need to pay to be part of the program.
Scaler’s first two paying customers were Amazon and Facebook.
“They started helping Amazon hire quality engineers back in 2015, and till date are super proud that we’ve helped Amazon hire a lot of top tech stars. They built an interview warm up tool for Facebook Careers called CodeLab, which was exceptionally popular amongst the FB applicants” Says Scaler Founders.
Scaler – Challenges Faced
Fixing the problem of talent scarcity is a rather hard problem, with fixes needed on both the supply and demand side. Lack of awareness among students and archaic ways of hiring at businesses, which have gotten established over the years, are two problems that need behaviour change. However, Scaler does see a positive change coming on both fronts at a rapid pace.
Post the phenomenal growth Scaler saw in 2021 and 2022, the edtech brand is now focusing on maintaining its top line and profitability. Scaler has been EBITA positive over the last few months and is hoping to hit annual profitable figures by the end of the year. Here are some growth highlights that Scaler has witnessed to date:
Scaler has expanded its operations to the US in January 2022
Scaler is adding 2,500 learners monthly, and since April 2019, it has onboarded & helped 35,000 learners cumulatively.
Scaler has a very active community on Discord where students and teachers (mentors) discuss various tech and digital skills topics, clarify doubts instantaneously, and discuss assignments, projects, etc. With over 130,000 members, it is the largest tech community in the country.
Scaler is positive for both cash flow and EBITDA.
Scaler’s courses offer 4.5X RoI (return on investment) for the students
Thousands of Scaler alumni are placed in companies like Microsoft, Google, Uber, Amazon, Paypal, Adobe, VMWare, Intuit and McAfee.
Scaler (by InterviewBit) has raised a total of over $76.5 million in funding to date. The recent round of funding came in from Lightrock, Sequoia, and Tiger Global, which helped the company raise $55 mn, as of 1st February 2022.
Scaler’s Funding and Investors details are as follows:
Date
Series
Amount
Investors
February 1, 2022
Series B
$55 million
Lightrock India, Sequoia Capital and Tiger Global
January 28, 2020
Series A
$20 Million
Sequoia India, Tiger Global, Global Founders Capital and Rocket Internet
–
–
$1.5 Million
Sequoia Surge Program
Scaler is backed by marquee investors like Peak XV Ventures (Sequoia Capital India), Tiger Global, Global Founders Capital, and Lightrock India, along with several high-profile individual investors. Lightrock India has stepped in as a new investor, leading the recent round of Scaler on February 1, 2022, where the company raised $55 million.
Scaler Shareholders
Scaler – Competitors
Some of the top competitors of Scaler Academy include –
Scaler acquired Coding Elements and Coding Minutes in 2021. Followed by Applied Roots in 2022 in a deal worth $50 million. All the founders of these companies and their respective teams joined Scaler as full-time employees. Recently, Scaler made its fourth acquisition of a Delhi-based education platform, Pepcoding, for an undisclosed amount. This acquisition will accelerate growth and support across various business units, including strategy, product design, B2B enterprise, operations and instructor org.
Here’s a glimpse into the 4 acquisitions that Scaler made so far:
Name of the company acquired
Date of acquisition
Price
Applied Roots
March 2, 2022
$50 mn
Coding Minutes
October 21, 2021
$98.82 mn
Coding Elements
August 30, 2021
$1.05 mn
Pep Coding
May 31, 2023
Undisclosed amount
Scaler – Recognition and Achievements
InterviewBit was recognised by LinkedIn as one of the 25 hottest Indian start-ups to work for in 2019
InterviewBit was one among the 17 startups from India, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, and Bangladesh that have made it to the inaugural cohort of venture capital firm Sequoia’s Surge program
Scaler was recognised as a Great Place to Work® by the GPTW Institute in 2021
Recognised by AmbitionBox as “The Best Place to Work in India 2022” among tech startup companies with more than 500 employees in India
The startup’s parent firm, InterviewBit, is featured on the Financial Times’s Asia Pacific High Growth Companies 2021, 2022 and 2023 ranking.
Scaler – Future Plans
For the near future, Scaler plans to sustain a substantial revenue growth range of 30-40% from FY24 to FY25 with a focus on not just the financial progress but also a consistent delivery of high-quality education and essential skills for their learners.
“At Scaler, they believe execution is equally essential for success in online learning. Towards this end, they continuously experiment with and incorporate new methodologies for teaching and learning to ensure an effective outcome,” added Scaler team
Besides this, the team is also focusing on building Scaler School of Technology with admissions open to welcome the second batch of students to the campus.
Ultimately, their goal is to bridge the demand-supply gap in the tech industry.
Scaler – Community and Reviews
Scaler’s community on Discord currently comprises around 130,000 members. It is the largest tech community in the country, comprised of like-minded individuals, where members discuss various tech and digital skills topics, share job openings, and engage in games and competitions.
The reviews of Scaler by many people say…
“People teaching you are either a world-class competitive programmer or have cracked interviews in companies which take world-class hard interviews”
“The doubt support time is mentioned as 30 minutes, but it is wrong, He must say. It’s less than that. Anytime He felt doubt, He messages his community of batch mates or even to the teacher who taught him that concept, and they clarify instantly”
“You will have a Student Success Manager who will be guiding you through every step of your journey. In my case, My SSM even got to the extent that He was not solving problems in the middle of the course, so she contacted me and asked me to make a Google doc and share it with her and update daily on that doc the questions He do”
“If you succeed in a job interview – they will call and congratulate you and talk about the next opportunities. If you fail in one – they will call and say it’s normal and will discuss areas of improvement you can make.”
Scaler Office photos
FAQs
How are InterviewBit and Scaler related?
Scaler was incubated inside the InterviewBit in 2019 – a platform where people could learn new programming skills and practice interview questions in order to scale up in their careers.
What is Scaler?
Scaler is a competitive online accelerator program that offers a course on computer science that trains software developers to land jobs with top tech companies. It offers an intensive 6-12-month computer science course.
How much is Scaler Funding?
Scaler (by InterviewBit) has raised a total of $76.5 million in investment to date.
Who are the founders of Scaler?
Scaler and InterviewBit both are founded by IIIT Hyderabad alums Anshuman Singh and Abhimanyu Saxena.
What is Scaler Academy?
Scaler Academy is an online tech-versity for the top 1% of software developers in the country. They offer an intensive six-month computer science course through live classes delivered by tech leaders and subject matter experts.
Who does Scaler Cater to?
Scaler caters to:
Tech-enthusiasts in university (Scaler Edge)
Young working professionals (Scaler Academy)
Those looking to transform into future CTOs and entrepreneurs (Scaler Plus)
In today’s modern world, coding has become an indispensable skill, attracting many individuals due to the diverse range of career opportunities it offers. Whether you aspire to be a software developer, work in web development, or pursue various coding-related fields, learning how to code is crucial.
Acquiring coding skills can provide a competitive advantage, offering greater independence and flexibility in your professional journey. However, with numerous resources available online, finding the best ones, particularly for beginners, can be challenging.
In this comprehensive guide, we will introduce you to some of the top websites that offer exceptional coding courses and tutorials, tailored for beginners and seasoned learners alike. Get ready to dive into the world of coding and unlock the potential for endless creativity and innovation!
Interactive training platform for coding learners and teams
Codecademy – best websites to practice coding
Codecademy is an online learning platform that offers a wide range of coding courses and tutorials, catering to beginners and experienced learners. With its interactive and hands-on approach, it empowers individuals to master various programming languages and technologies. Whether you aim to become a web developer, data analyst, or delve into machine learning, Codecademy provides a rich learning experience to acquire valuable skills in the tech industry. Its user-friendly interface and real-time coding practice make it an ideal choice for anyone aspiring to learn coding and boost their career prospects.
They have successfully educated more than 45 million people with their unique and engaging experience. Learners can delve into foundational languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to create web pages from scratch, or explore more advanced languages like Python, Java, Ruby, and C++ for versatile application development.
How to Use CodeAcademy
Codecademy Pricing
Plan
Yearly Price
Monthly Price
Basic
₹0
₹0
Plus
₹750/month
₹1,500/month
Pro
₹1,250/month
₹2,500/month
Udemy
Website
www.udemy.com
Rating
4.6 out of 5
Founder
Oktay Çağlar, Gagan Biyani, Eren Bali
Best For
Global online learning solution for companies of all sizes
Udemy
Udemy is a popular online learning platform that offers a wide range of coding courses, making it one of the best sites to learn coding. With thousands of courses taught by industry experts, Udemy provides a diverse selection of programming languages, web development frameworks, data science, and other technology-related subjects. Its self-paced learning approach and lifetime access to course materials enable learners to study at their own pace and acquire valuable coding skills to pursue their career aspirations in the tech industry.
You can explore a wide array of programming languages, spanning from popular options like Python, Java, JavaScript, and C++ to more specialized choices such as Swift, Go, Kotlin, and Rust.
Udemy Pricing
Udemy offers custom pricing plans. Please contact them directly for pricing information.
Coursera
Website
www.coursera.org
Rating
4.6 out of 5
Founder
Andrew Ng, Daphne Koller
Best For
Cloud-based training tool for employees
Coursera
Coursera is an online learning platform that offers a wide range of coding courses and programs to help individuals develop their coding skills. stands out with its distinctive approach to learning, offering over 1000 courses from reputable institutions. Collaborations with esteemed universities such as the University of Washington, Stanford, the University of Toronto, and Vanderbilt enhance the platform’s credibility. In addition to their paid courses, Coursera provides access to free introductory courses, allowing learners to explore various subjects without financial constraints.
The diverse range of courses offered by Coursera encompasses programming languages like Python, Java, and C, as well as web development essentials like HTML and CSS. For those interested in cutting-edge technologies, Coursera offers courses on IoT programming, enabling learners to delve into the exciting world of Internet of Things. Whether you’re a beginner or seeking to advance your coding skills, Coursera provides a rich array of courses to cater to your learning goals.
Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Best For
eLearning authoring tools management software
edX
Founded by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), edX an open-source and non-profit educational platform – provides high-quality education in various subjects, including coding and programming. Learners can access courses in programming languages like Python, Java, C++, and more, as well as specialized topics such as web development, data science, and artificial intelligence. With a mission to increase access to education, edX offers both free courses and paid options, providing learners with valuable skills and knowledge to advance their careers and personal growth.
With contributions from 53 prestigious institutions, edX has earned its reputation as one of the best coding sites, granting learners the opportunity to earn certificates from renowned institutions like Harvard University.
Learner Stories: Outcomes That Matter
edX Pricing
Plan
Price
For Groups
$349/Learner/Year
Enterprise
Custom Pricing
Khan Academy
Website
www.khanacademy.org
Rating
4.7 out of 5
Founder
Sal Khan
Best For
Free eLearning platform for students and teachers
Khan Academy
Khan Academy is a renowned non-profit educational organization that was founded in 2008 by educator Salman Khan. What started as one man tutoring his cousin remotely has evolved into a global platform that reaches millions of learners worldwide. Khan Academy’s mission is to provide free, high-quality education to anyone, anywhere, regardless of their background or circumstances.
In Khan Academy’s computing courses, learners can delve into programming languages like JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. Additionally, computer science basics are covered to build a strong foundation. For those with limited time, the “Hour of Code” option offers a quick and accessible way to get started in the world of coding. Khan Academy’s inclusive approach to education makes it an excellent platform for learners seeking to explore various subjects beyond coding.
Khan Academy Pricing
Khan Academy is Free to use.
Codewars
Website
www.codewars.com
Rating
4.5 out of 5
Founder
Nathan Doctor and Jake Hoffner
Best For
Improving Coding Skills
Codewars
Codewars is an online coding platform that offers a unique and interactive way for developers to improve their coding skills. It provides a vast collection of coding challenges, known as “katas,” that cover a wide range of programming languages and concepts. Developers can choose katas based on their skill level and interests, and they are encouraged to solve these challenges by writing code to pass various tests.
What sets Codewars apart is its gamified approach to learning. As developers complete katas, they earn points and progress through different ranks, gaining recognition for their achievements. It has become a popular platform among coding enthusiasts and professionals seeking to challenge themselves and stay sharp in the ever-evolving world of programming.
Codewars Pricing
Codewars offers a free membership to access its coding challenges and community features. Users can create an account and start participating in katas without any cost.
W3Schools
Website
www.w3schools.com
Rating
4.7 out of 5
Founder
Refsnes Data
Best For
Learning Web Development
W3Schools
Established in 1988, W3Schools is a highly reputable and reliable online platform for learning coding. With a comprehensive range of courses including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Python, and many more, W3Schools offers an extensive curriculum for aspiring developers. Whether you are a beginner seeking to build a solid foundation or an advanced learner aiming to acquire specialized skills, the web tutorials provided by W3Schools cater to learners of all levels, making it an ideal destination for anyone looking to enhance their coding knowledge and expertise.
W3Schools Pricing
W3Schools provides its educational content and tutorials for free.
Code.org is a non-profit organization and website dedicated to expanding access to computer science education for students around the world. Founded by Hadi Partovi and Ali Partovi, Code.org aims to promote coding and computer science as an essential part of K-12 education.
The website offers a range of interactive and engaging resources, tutorials, and activities that are designed to introduce coding concepts and computational thinking to students at various grade levels. By offering free access to coding tools and resources, Code.org plays a crucial role in empowering students to develop valuable coding skills and prepare them for a future in the digital age.
Code.org Pricing
Code.org offers its educational resources and coding activities for free
FreeCodeCamp
Website
www.freecodecamp.org
Rating
4.8 out of 5
Founder
Quincy Larson
Best For
Learning Web Development and Programming
FreeCodeCamp
FreeCodeCamp is a platform that empowers learners to master coding and acquire app development skills. The diverse array of courses includes HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, Databases, React.js, Node.js, Data Structure and Algorithms, and Frontend Development. By joining this non-profit’s community of students and professionals, learners can expand their knowledge through networking and collaboration. Moreover, learning to code with FreeCodeCamp equips individuals with the ability to tackle real-life challenges and solve problems effectively.
FreeCodeCamp Pricing
It is completely free of charge.
HackerRank
Website
www.hackerrank.com
Rating
4.5 out of 5
Founder
Vivek Ravisankar
Best For
Coding Challenges and Technical Skill Development
HackerRank
HackerRank is a comprehensive coding platform that offers diverse challenges across various domains, including Algorithms, Mathematics, SQL, Functional Programming, and AI, among others. With challenges spanning different difficulty levels, users can enhance their coding skills and problem-solving capabilities. The site also features discussions and leaderboards for each level, along with editorials that provide insights into the challenges and aid in formulating solutions.
Beyond skill development, HackerRank opens doors to job opportunities by enabling users to apply for positions through company-sponsored coding challenges. Coding has become an integral part of numerous industries, offering diverse career possibilities, including launching your own startup based on coding ideas. Whether aiming to secure a job with a company or embarking on an entrepreneurial journey, the best coding sites, like HackerRank, serve as invaluable resources for mastering the intricacies of coding and excelling in the digital landscape.
how to start hackerrank for beginners
HackerRank Pricing
Plan
Price
Starter
$100/month, billed monthly
Pro
$250/month, billed monthly
Custom
Custom Pricing
Conclusion
In conclusion, the best websites to learn coding online offer a wealth of resources and opportunities for learners of all levels. From interactive tutorials to coding challenges, these platforms empower individuals to enhance their coding skills and pursue exciting career paths in the tech industry. Embrace the possibilities, embark on your coding journey, and unlock your potential in this ever-evolving digital world. Happy coding!
FAQs
Which is the best site to learn coding?
Some of the best websites to learn are:
Codecademy
Udemy
Coursera
edX
Khan Academy
Codewars
W3Schools
Code.org
FreeCodeCamp
HackerRank
What is the best way to learn coding?
The best way to learn coding is through a combination of hands-on practice and structured learning. Engage in coding projects and challenges while following well-structured tutorials and courses to build a strong foundation and practical coding skills.
Is there any platform to learn programming for free?
Yes, there are several platforms available online that offer free programming courses and resources, allowing learners to acquire coding skills without any cost. Examples include Codecademy, freeCodeCamp, and Khan Academy, among others.
Can I learn coding on my own?
Yes, you can learn coding on your own through self-paced online courses, coding tutorials, and practice. Many coding websites and resources are designed to accommodate self-directed learning, making it accessible and achievable for individuals to learn coding independently.
Is coding a good career?
Yes, coding can be a rewarding and lucrative career choice. With the increasing demand for skilled programmers in various industries, a career in coding offers excellent job prospects and opportunities for growth.
Do you know that the global medical coding market size reached 17.05 billion USD in the year 2021? It is expected to increase at a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 10.60% in the consecutive years from 2022 to 2027. Also, the global programming language training market is assured to grow by USD 4.49 billion during 2021-2025, progressing at a CAGR of over 15% during the forecast period. These statistics clearly show the increasing popularity of coding worldwide.
But coding is incomplete without a decent coding platform. Nowadays, several coding platforms have been designed which have pre-built conventional operating systems and allow users, especially beginners, a smooth coding experience.
It contains assessments, quizzes, challenges, and guidance according to the level of the individual to master coding for different job titles. In this article, discover some of the best coding platforms that every Engineer needs to know about. Let’s dive in to explore what these advanced coding platforms are.
A developer, programmer, or coder requires libraries, application programming interfaces, and other components for coding. A software platform that consists of all the mentioned elements is referred to as a coding platform. A coding platform allows coders to compile, debug, and implement programs in specific computer languages.
It specifically contains advancement tools that assist programmers with convenient application development. These platforms are often used for hiring tech employees by evaluating their knowledge libraries, frameworks, tools, skills, technology, and applications of a particular language. It can easily assess the coding of programmers.
Not only this, but coding platforms also provide quizzes, assessments, and direction to the programmers by identifying their coding level. Advanced individuals are offered advanced coding while beginners face the basic one. These platforms can be used to learn and master programming skills at any stage.
Best Coding Platforms Every Engineer Must Know
Software Market Revenue in the World (2016-2021)
The following are some of the best coding platforms that will help you learn, practice, assess performance, and master the skill of coding:
GeeksforGeeks
GeeksforGeeks – Best Coding Platforms Every Engineer Needs to Know About
Established in 2009 by Sandeep Jain(IIT Roorkee alumnus), GeeksforGeeks has three ultimate motives specifically for CS/IT students. First, it prepares an individual for live interviews via its courses and resourceful articles. Secondly, it ensures that the person gets hired by a leading company. It has a good hiring record for its students. It then offers other advanced courses for further upskilling.
Being one of the best coding platforms worldwide, GeeksforGeeks have a lot to offer to its coders. It has the hands-on experience to teach data structures and algorithm knowledge skillfully. Its rich library contains regular coding competitions, classrooms, live and online courses, millions of manuscripts, free tutorials, internships, job opportunities, and webinars by top industry leaders.
There are plenty of options available including Java, Python, JavaScript, C++, C, etc. to choose from as your programming language. It also provides tutorials for UGC NET, ISRO, UPSC, GATE, and more competitive exam preparation.
LeetCode
LeetCode – Best Coding Platforms Every Engineer Needs to Know About
The LeetCode provides a total of 14 programming languages in its library to make a choice. It not only prepares individuals for tech interviews, but it also collaborates with top companies to find tech talent from the LeetCode batch. There are more than many advantages to learning with LeetCode.
It provides more than 2500 questions to practice at even its first interaction with individuals. Its significant tool Playground allows coders to write their projects online, test them, and then debug them thoroughly on their own. Thousands of users have already enrolled, signifying the growing vogue of the LeetCode coding platform, in today’s scenario.
HackerRank
HackerRank – Best Coding Platforms Every Engineer Needs to Know About
Established in July 2009 by Hari and Vivek, the ex-employees of IBM and Amazon, respectively, HackerRank is one of the leading coding platforms in the world. Its marketing statistics speak for themselves. Do you know that there are more than 18 million developers (about 40% of developers worldwide) already present on the HackerRank coding platform? More than 3,000 companies use HackerRank to connect with developers. All this indicates the vogue of HackerRank as a winsome coding platform.
HackerRank is a data-driven resourceful coding platform that believes in making dependents happier. It has a whole interview preparation kit to assist students to get hired. Its kit contains algorithms, mathematics, data structures, C, artificial intelligence, C++, Ruby, Python, Java, SQL, Regex, functional programming, Linux shell, and databases. It offers different interview preparation kits, including a 1-week preparation kit that contains 21 challenges, a 1 month preparation kit that contains 54 challenges, and a 3 months preparation kit that contains 104 challenges.
CodeForces
CodeForces – Best Coding Platforms Every Engineer Needs to Know About
Launched in April 2009 by Mikhail Mirzayanov, CodeForces has more than 600,000 active users. The chief focus of CodeForces remains to organize recreational programming contests. The top programmers from all over the world set the concepts and questions of CodeForces contests.
So if you are a beginner or an expert and you want to assess the concepts of programming you have learned so far, CodeForces assessments tests can help. To register for a CodeForces account, you first have to enter your details. It then organizes virtual participation in learner-level contests, which never affect your ratings, and ranks in real CodeForce assessment contests.
It then furnishes the rank list which displays the number of right and wrong questions you have attempted. CodeForces blogs are also very resourceful in a furnishing programming language. CodeForces is no doubt, one of the most popular platforms for practising competitive programming. You can also use some additional tools to enhance your competitive coding experience. This list of tools includes StopStalk, Rating Predictor, and CodeForces Visualizer.
CodeChef – Best Coding Platforms Every Engineer Needs to Know About
Established as an educational initiative in 2009 by Directi, an Indian software company, and founded by Bhavin Turakhia, CodeChef is an online educational program and competitive programming community of global programmers. It was later taken over by Unacademy in 2020. Its headquarters are in Bangalore, India. The hosting and coding platform CodeChef invites institutes or universities to host their online contests on their platform.
It provides both external and internal coding assessments. External coding examinations of CodeChef are quite popular and more than 30 contests are hosted every month on its platform. CodeChef hosts three prominent programming contests every month which include Long Challenge, Lunchtime, and Starters and Cookoff. CodeChef also organizes a programming competition (SnackDown) on an international level where programmers from more than 140 countries participate. The following things are accessible with CodeChef:
It allows educational institutions and organizations around the world to host programming contests on its platform.
You can get access to CodeChef college chapters where you can fetch the series of learning concepts to prepare for competitive-level programming.
It also serves as an evaluation platform for educationists as it has collaborations with popular education institutes such as NIT Trichy, IIT Madras, IIT Delhi, NITTR, IIT Hyderabad, and Amritapuri College of Engineering.
It regulates CodeChef Certified Data Structure & Algorithms Programme (CCDSAP) exam to calculate the proficiency of students in coding.
It has CodeChef for Schools which promotes competitive programming among school students by creating awareness about the International Olympiads in Informatics (IOI).
Topcoder
Topcoder – Best Coding Platforms Every Engineer Needs to Know About
Topcoder is another top coding platform where data scientists, developers, designers, and competitive programmers from all over the world reside. It was founded in April 2001 and was acquired by Appirio in 2013; later in 2016, Topcoder, along with Appirio, was acquired by Wipro.
You can read up on UI/UX design, data science, QA and testing, web development, and workforce optimization. It also furnishes case studies, blogs, ebooks, white papers, video repositories, press rooms, and continuous release and updates for its coders. You can even book a demo to explore more about this coding platform.
HackerEarth
HackerEarth – Best Coding Platforms Every Engineer Needs to Know About
Headquartered in San Francisco, US, HackerEarth is a proficient coding outlet for coders that supports mostly technical hiring. The company was founded by Sachin Gupta and Vivek Prakash with its branches in the United States, India, and China.
Distant video interviewing and technical skills examinations are two of the most performing applications of HackerEarth. It has supported more than 6.5 million developers via data science competitions, coding contests, and hackathons. Besides sharpening your coding skills, HackerEarth also prepares and provides job opportunities to competent coders.
Conclusion
Hence, this was all about the best coding platforms every engineer should be aware of. The above-mentioned are the leading platforms where coders from all over the world reside. You can opt for any of them according to your needs and preferences and grind with industry leaders and developers to improve the coding possibilities.
FAQs
What is a coding platform?
A developer, programmer, or coder requires libraries, application programming interfaces, and other components for coding. A software platform that consists of all the mentioned elements is referred to as a coding platform.
Which are the best coding platforms for Engineers?
Some of the best coding platforms are:
GeeksforGeeks
CodeChef
CodeForces
LeetCode
HackerRank
Topcoder
HackerEarth
What programming languages do engineers use?
Programming languages used by engineers include JavaScript, Java, Python, HTML/CSS, C++, Ruby, PHP, etc.
When you’re starting a business, one of the most important decisions you need to make is which type of company structure you’ll have and who will fill each role. To help your business succeed, you need employees that are dedicated and willing to do whatever it takes to see the company succeed. In the case of your business being heavily reliant on technology, it might be worth hiring a web developer.
They are responsible for designing and maintaining websites, as well as helping businesses develop their own websites if they don’t have one already. The Internet has made everything incredibly convenient; from ordering take-out to booking flights and hotels. The e-commerce market is projected to grow at an incredible rate over the next few years because more people are buying goods online rather than in stores.
If you want your business to stay ahead of the curve, working with a web developer might be something worth looking into. As such, there are several things that you should ask potential candidates before signing any contracts. Doing so will help you pick the right developer and avoid any future problems or misunderstandings.
The following 20 questions will get you started on choosing the right candidate for your project. So, Let’s get started.
How long have you been developing websites? You can ask the web developer how long they’ve been developing websites by asking them if they have any previous experience, or if they’ve done any freelance work.
You can also ask them how many websites they’ve built or where they learned to develop websites.
Total Works
How many websites have you personally worked on? The best way to find out how long a web developer has been in business is to ask them how many websites they’ve worked on. If they’re a newbie, there’s no way to know for sure. But if they’ve been around for a while and have built up some experience, this question will give you an idea of their level of expertise.
Duration
How long will it take to build the website or web application I need? To answer this question, you need to know what you’re looking for. Do you want a simple website? Or do you want something more complex that requires more time and attention? If it’s the latter, then you’ll likely want to hire a professional web developer.
There are a few things that can help speed up the process:
Have an idea of what you want from your website or web application before contacting a developer so that they can get started on it sooner.
Have an idea of how much work needs to be done before hiring a developer so that there isn’t any ambiguity about what needs to be done and when it needs to be done (this makes sure everyone feels like they’re contributing).
Make sure that any images or files needed for your project are already available on your computer before contacting someone else so that they don’t have to spend unnecessary time downloading them again.
Have you done work similar to what I am looking for, and can I see examples of your work in that area? This question is designed to help you gauge an idea about the candidate’s work. If the answer is “yes,” then it’s likely that the developer has worked with similar clients in the past, which means they’ll know how to handle your project. If you’re not sure, ask them!
Package Details
How much will this cost, and what do your services include? There are two kinds of questions you can ask a web developer to help you pick the right one. The first is, “How much will this cost?” and the second is, “What services do you provide?” If you’re not sure how much your project will cost, it’s a good idea to get a quote from the web development company before you start on the work. That way, you’ll know what to expect from day one.
Platform Used
What platform do you prefer to build on (WordPress, Drupal, etc.) and why? This question is one of the most important questions to ask when choosing a web developer. It can be difficult to choose between these platforms because they are all so similar in their functionality. However, there are some differences that could make one platform better than another for your business or project. For example, if you’re looking for a website builder that allows you to easily add your own customizations or content later on down the line, WordPress might be right for you. If you want a website builder with more powerful customization tools available at all times, Drupal might be more suited for your needs.
If you’re not sure which platform would work best for your project, talk with an experienced web developer about what he or she likes about each platform and how it will help with his or her job responsibilities. This should give you a good idea of whether one platform will be more beneficial than another!
Portfolio
Do you have a portfolio I can look at? This is the most important question to ask because it’s the one that will help you decide whether or not to move forward with a developer. You should only hire someone if their portfolio is complete, professional, and speaks for itself.
There are two ways to go about finding a web developer’s portfolio: online and offline. Online portfolios are usually more complete than offline portfolios because they can be updated and revised as needed, but offline portfolios can often be more thorough and detailed than online ones. They’re also easier to find since there isn’t an app for every job in existence (although it’s worth noting that some very niche apps exist).
CMS or Coding
Do you use a CMS or Coding? Why? This question is one of the most important ones to ask when hiring a web developer. This question will help you understand whether the job candidate uses CMS (Content Management System) or Coding to develop his task or project. Also, don’t forget to ask why he uses that particular method.
Mode of Work
Will you create a new design or are you going to modify an existing template? You should ask this question because it will help you narrow down the field of potential candidates. If a developer is going to create a new design from scratch, they may not have the skills necessary to modify an existing template. This would be a waste of time and money for your company, so it’s important that you find out whether or not they can handle this before you hire them.
If a developer does have the skills necessary to modify an existing template, then they have the potential to save both time and money by offering their services at a lower price than someone who needs to start from scratch.
How long does it take for you to build a website? This is a great question to ask because it helps you get a sense of how dedicated the developer is to their craft. How long will it take them to do the work they’ve agreed to? Will they be able to meet your deadlines?
The answer will depend on a number of factors, including the complexity of your project and how much time you need them to dedicate. But generally speaking, if you’re looking for a web developer who can create something quickly and effectively, you’re probably looking at upwards of four weeks.
Error Rectification
How much time will it take to resolve issues and rectify errors after completion of the website or application? What is the estimated timeline for this process? One of the most important questions to ask a developer is how long it will take to resolve issues and rectify errors after completion of the website or application. The sooner you can get your problem resolved, the better.
The best way to find out how long this process will take is by asking for some samples of past work. If you’re not sure what you’re looking for, ask about their experience in similar situations. A developer who has never worked on a project with similar problems may not have any idea how long it should take.
Another important factor is the estimated timeline for this process. Even if the developer provides an estimate that seems reasonable, it’s always best to get a second opinion from another expert before committing to any project.
Compatibility
Will my website be compatible with all major browsers and mobile devices? Your website is one of your most important assets, and you need to make sure that it looks sharp and performs well in all major web browsers and mobile devices. One way to do this is by asking if your developer can guarantee that the site will be compatible with the latest versions of all major browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and Opera.
This will help you find a developer who can help you with future-proofing your site by keeping it up to date with the latest features. It’s also important to ask if they can provide support for any new versions of these browsers—as well as older ones—that might come out in the future.
Search Engine Optimisation
Can you build me a website that is search engine optimized (SEO)? By asking this question, you will be able to find out if the developer has any experience in Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) because if they do then they will know exactly what needs to be done in order for the website to rank well on Google and other search engines like Bing and Yahoo!
You should also ask this question if you are planning on hiring an SEO expert because it will help you narrow down your choices when looking for someone who can help you with your project. You should also ask this question if you are planning on hiring a new web developer because it will give them some idea as to what kind of work they should expect from themselves while working on your project so that they can ensure that everything goes smoothly during their time working with you.
Updates
How often will I receive updates on the progress of my website’s development or design? The best web developers will be able to answer this question within minutes. They know how much time it takes to build a site, and they can tell you right away whether or not they’re on track with your requirements. If you want to make sure that any online business will receive regular updates, then you need to work with a skilled web developer.
Site Security
How does your company manage the security of your site? This is a question that can be difficult to answer, but it’s important for you to know. If the company is not taking any steps to protect its users from hacking, then it could be putting your business at risk. It’s good practice to ask this question before hiring anyone because it will help you determine if the person has any previous experience in security or not.
It’s also important that you ask this question because it will help you understand how they plan on protecting your data and what kind of resources they need in order to do so.
Who owns the website once it is completed? When you’re looking to hire a web developer, you may be wondering who will own the website once it’s completed. The answer is: that it depends on the type of website you’re building and how important ownership is to you.
For example, if you’re planning on selling your company or getting into real estate development, then ownership of your website is going to be pretty important—but if you’re just renting out a couple of rooms in your home, it might not matter as much. In that case, there are other factors to consider when deciding who owns the site (like whether or not there will be an ongoing relationship between your company and the developer).
The bottom line is that it all depends on what kind of project your web developer has on their plate. If they’ve been working with companies like yours for a while now and have built up relationships with them over time (especially if they’ve helped them grow in some way), then they should have no problem giving up ownership of their work when the time comes.
Preview
Do I get to preview the site before it goes live? When you’re working with a web developer, you want to know that you’re getting a product that’s going to do what you need and not just a bunch of features that will make your site look pretty but are never going to be useful for you. One way to tell if your web developer has the chops is by asking them this question: “do I get to preview the site before it goes live?”
The answer should be an unequivocal yes. The more you can see how the site is going to work before it goes live, the more confident you’ll feel in the process. If your web developer says no, or doesn’t answer at all, then it might be time to consider looking elsewhere.
Images
What kind of images will you use for my website design? This will help you determine whether your developer takes pride in their work or if they’ll just slap something together without any care.
If your developer is comfortable with their work, they’ll be able to tell you exactly how many images they’ll need and what kinds of them they want. If not, that’s a red flag! You want a web developer who has a firm grasp on the technical aspects of building a site but also knows how to make it look professional and appealing.
Followup Post-Launch
Will there be any follow-up service or support offered by your company after the website launch? When you’re selecting a web developer, it’s important to ask about how long it will take the company to respond to your questions about your new website. Some developers are quick to answer your questions and offer a ton of support after the site goes live, while others may not be as responsive.
If you want someone who is going to be there for you every step of the way, then look for a company that has an excellent customer service team.
Right Fit
How do I know that you are the right fit for me? It’s a good question! The truth is, there’s no easy answer to this. When choosing a web developer, it’s important to consider their experience, their portfolio, and their level of expertise in the kind of work that you need to be done.
But it’s also important to ask yourself what your own expectations are for your web development team—especially if you’re a business owner or entrepreneur who wants to be able to manage your site while they work on it.
At the end of the day, finding the right web designer for your project can be a daunting task. That’s why it’s helpful to have a list of questions that you can use to gauge whether or not you’re working with someone who’s qualified and capable. Take this list with you as you interview potential candidates, and you should be able to find the right person to bring your dream website to life.
FAQs
Who are Web developers?
Web developers are professionals who create, design, maintain, and update websites.
What is Portfolio?
A portfolio is a collection of all previous works of a professional. Employers can take a look at the portfolio to determine the skillset and experience level of the candidate.
What is SEO?
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation. It is the process by which one can rank his/her site or work on the internet and increase its visibility.
What is CMS?
CMS stands for Content Management System. CMS is software that enables creators to create, edit, modify and manage and publish digital content.
As a programmer, this probably sounds familiar. You have a full day’s work ahead of you, bugs to fix, or worse, a client deadline coming up, but somehow, you just can’t get the job done. You walk away from your computer far too many times or sit there staring at it, doing anything and everything apart from the task at hand.
There are many names for it – procrastination, distraction, or burnout, but most businesses worldwide just call it decreased productivity. Productivity is really important regardless of whatever work you are assigned or have to do.
Why is productivity important if you are a programmer?
Productivity is something that most brands and businesses now focus on greatly. It doesn’t matter whether you are a programmer, a writer, a graphic designer or hold other key leadership designations in a company like CEO, CTO, CRO, etc., you need to be productive at the day’s end. So, if you are a programmer, here’s why you need to be productive:
To boost your engagement
Multiply your revenues
Learn more
Fight the increasing competition
Give something to the company/employer
Boost credibility
Improve reputation
Meet deadlines
See more work or more clients
Best Hacks to Improve Productivity as a Programmer
If you’re spending your day looking and feeling busy but with nothing to show at the end, here are some simple tweaks that may help boost your productivity:
1. Get Enough Rest
Sounds counterproductive, doesn’t it? And top of our list too? A programmer’s life entails sitting at your desk for long hours, logical thinking, and a tremendous amount of concentration. Some developers put in 12 plus hours of work regularly, leaving them exhausted, and ultimately, burned out. In fact,losing just two hours of sleep is similar to becoming intoxicated. So, how are you supposed to produce high-quality code under such circumstances?
If you find your productivity and enthusiasm for the job reducing by the day, it may be time to unplug and get a goodnight’s sleep. Proper rest helps boost mental health, and a sharp brain will remember tasks (written or otherwise) and work more efficiently. Thus, helping yourself with enough rest shall certainly mean helping yourself boost productivity. Work time burnouts can be severely painful, and proper rest is one of the main things that professionals need to focus on to avoid burnout at work.
Did you know it takes 10-15 minutes for a software developer to regain focus every time they are interrupted? If you get disrupted every hour or so, guess how much time you’re losing? Close to two hours for a typical workday.
Schedule specific times to check and respond to your email, turn off notifications on your computer and mobile devices, and minimize the number of open tabs in your browser. It will help limit the temptation to take a sneak peek at your social media pages.
You may have difficulties staying uninterrupted in an office setting, and you certainly shouldn’t be rude to your colleagues. There are polite ways of letting others know you don’t want distractions like:
Setting the “don’t disturb” status on the company chat
Wearing headphones
Letting your colleague know in advance that you need to concentrate on a task.
And guard them jealously. Plan your work so that you tackle the most intensive tasks when you’re most productive. You can then distribute the easier or smaller tasks for the rest of the day. This is especially important for freelance developers or anyone working from home and having their loved ones around.
Of course, this may prove challenging if your work requires you to match other employees’ working hours or have a 9 to 5 job, sorry night people. But try to optimize your productivity within the contract-approved hours.
There are several different ways to find your most productive hours, such as by following your ultradian rhythm.
4. Master Your Tools
Developers use different tools depending on their area of focus. Take the time to find out what’s available within these tools to help you work more efficiently and reduce manual tasks. Command-line is a fine example that many beginners avoid getting deeper into, possibly because of its wordy documentation or obscure syntax. In doing so, they miss out on a host of useful tools that could make their everyday tasks easier. Though no code development platforms are something that is disrupting the digital industry, mastering the coding tools is something you need to do if your work depends on coding.
While we’re on the subject, take time to read books and tech stories as these offer a deeper understanding of programming language, the industry practices, and can help improve the quality of your code.
Handling menial tasks in development can frustrate and slow down productivity but you change things by automating repetitive, boring, and time-costly tasks. It will free up time for more important tasks.
Writing automation scripts may feel daunting at first, but if you keep at it, you’ll come up with fine solutions that will be worth your while and time. You can also automate tasks for your colleagues to help make their work easier and less dependent on you.
6. Learn a New Skill
It’s easy to get into the monotony of work. You use the same technologies every day and handle similar tasks. It’s easy to become complacent and lose your edge, which might affect your career in the future.
Find a side project that you can work on. Even if it means carving out some time in the evenings, early mornings, or on weekends. A new project will re-energize you and flame your passion for coding, and there’s no telling what new opportunities it can open up.
Our brains are pretty smart, but we can’t always rely on them to remember everything, especially when it comes to coding. Transferring ideas from your mind to sticky notes to notepads, Google Sheets, or whiteboards can be useful for current or future projects.
Make a habit of jotting down (in an organized way) possible solutions for projects as they come to mind. You can develop these possibilities directly as codes in your notes and transfer them to the project code the minute you’re sure that they are plausible.
While you’re at it, write down the dates and times for important meetings and deadlines to help keep things in perspective.
8. Plan Things Before Writing Code
Planning is always important and is a much-needed step to proceed with before execution. So, even if you are writing codes, then planning definitely is central to your work and the project that you are handling. A planned work has the distinction of being proceeded with ease and in an efficient manner. Besides, planning also removes any chances of working unnecessarily or doing extra work.
9. Refactor Code and Write Code Documentation
Refactoring code might have been tagged as non-productive work by many programmers, who think that it doesn’t add any new feature or functionality to the project. However, it is important to know that refactoring will help you easily read the methods and make the code maintainable. Therefore, refactoring is a useful method that saves everyone’s time, including the engineer maintaining the code. Code documentation is another key habit that helps programmers improve their productivity.
10. Keep Yourself Away from Social Media
Social media is the biggest distraction of today’s generation. According to recent statistics, internet users spend 2 hours 25 minutes on social media on an average per day. This makes a colossal amount of time wasted per week, which is certainly detrimental to work including programming jobs.
11. Switch Off Your Multitasking Self and Focus
Though multitasking is the demand of the age, and that is what the companies are now wanting their employees to be, such a thing definitely takes a toll on the quality and thereby, on the overall productivity. So, if you are a programmer and you are multitasking, then stop there because multitasking can severely affect brain health, and would certainly lead to the loss of your productivity. Multitasking, however, has many benefits too. So, here’s exploring the pros and cons of multitasking.
Most of the tips we’ve shared here are easy to do and can be implemented immediately. You may not reap the benefits immediately, but you will see improved productivity over time. These seven simple tweaks can help you become a more productive programmer:
Getting enough rest
Minimizing distractions
Identifying your most productive hours
Mastering your tools
Automating tasks
Learning a new skill
Writing it down
Effective planning
Refactor code and write code documentation
Keeping away from social media
Switching off multitasking
Stay productive, not complacent!
FAQs
What is programming?
Programming is the task of writing codes/programs for the understanding of the computer, so that the machine, in return, works towards the programmers’ goals.
What does a programmer do?
A programmer is a person who writes computer codes/programs that helps the computer software and applications to function properly and aim to achieve certain goals.
Why is productivity essential in programming?
Productivity is certainly essential in programming. Productivity is one such thing that is crucial for any other work from any of the existing industries. It helps both the company and the employee grow in return.
How can you become a productive programmer?
Being a productive programmer is what most programmers wish for. However, it is true that programmers can also be productive. Here are some easy hacks that will help the programmers to be productive:
Company Profile is an initiative by StartupTalky to publish verified information on different startups and organizations. The content in this post has been approved by CodeChef.
The educational platforms are growing like never before, with their impressive results after the Covid-19 outbreak, the mark that these startups are leaving is prominent on the startup ecosystem. Coding or computer programming is now turning into an essential skill and has been rising in demand, the like of which was never witnessed earlier.
CodeChef is one of the online coding platforms that has been quite popular and though owned by Unacademy, CodeChef still is growing in its own way. Founded in 2009, Codecheck organizes algorithms, computer programming, and programming contests for programmers. It hosts programming competitions and contests for students and software professionals.
CodeChef, headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra also helps organizations connect with developers, brand their products in the developer community, and recruit them. It’s a non-profit educational initiative of Directi, whose aim was to provide a platform for students, software professionals to practice, to build their programming skills through online contests. Apart from this CodeChef also has a ‘CodeChef for schools’ program that aims to reach students and start a culture of programming in Indian schools.
Knowing more about CodeChef, the company owned by Unacademy will not be challenging anymore with this StartupTalky article where you discover all about CodeChef, its Founders, Codechef headquarters, Codechef Owners and key people, Business and Revenue Model, Mission, Growth and Revenue, Logo and its Meaning and more.
CodeChef is a competitive programming community of programmers from across the globe. CodeChef was started as an educational initiative in the year 2009 by Directi, an Indian software company. The CodeChef headquarters are in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
Apart from its monthly coding contests for the community, CodeChef has many initiatives for Schools, Colleges and Women in competitive programming. CodeChef is credited with hosting the India regionals of the prestigious ICPC for college students, as well as for IOI for school students in India. In 2020, CodeChef’s custodianship was changed from Directi (founded by Bhavin Turakhia) to Unacademy (Gaurav Munjal, CEO). CodeChef and its various initiatives have been managed and run by its Business Unit Head Anup Kalbalia.
It is a global programming community that fosters learning and friendly competition, built on top of the world’s largest competitive programming platform along with building a large community of problem curators. They host three featured contests every month and give away prizes and goodies to the winners as encouragement. Apart from this, the platform is open to the entire programming community to host their own contests. On average, 30+ external contests are hosted on their platform every month. They also help organisations connect with developers, brand their products in the developer community and recruit. Presently, the CodeChef community has grown to over 10,00,000+ programmers from different parts of the globe.
CodeChef – Logo and its meaning
The CodeChef logo comes very much from the name of the company. The icon can be seen wearing a chefs hat.
Bhavin is a serial tech entrepreneur, who has a special interest in collaboration and payments. Bhavin first co-founded Resellerclub, Logicboxes, and BigRock in 1998. He eventually exited all of them in a $160 mn transaction in 2014. Turakhia then founded Radix in 2012, before founding Flock in 2014, and Zeta in 2015.
He has been the co-founder of Directi from August 1997 to December 2014. He was also the founder of Ringo.co, and still is the Founder and CEO of Ringo, Radix, Flock, and Zeta.
I have always believed that “it is our moral obligation to make an impact that’s proportionate to our potential”. During the last two decades, I have worked with an amazing team of people and continue to do so in our quest to make a difference.
In the year 2009, Directi, an Indian software products company, launched CodeChef to help programmers improve their problem-solving skills through active participation in programming contests. The goal was to help Indian programmers in honing their problem-solving skills by fostering friendly competition and community engagement.
In the year 2020, the custodianship of CodeChef was handed over to Unacademy from Directi. After the transition, CodeChef is led by Bhavin Turakhia, Gaurav Munjal, and Anup Kalbalia.
CodeChef – Mission
CodeChef’s mission is to provide a reliable, valid, and fair method of assessing the skills and knowledge needed to become better programmers and develop a community of highly skilled certified professionals who are good problem solvers.
CodeChef – Business Model and Revenue Model
The CodeChef business model operations are entirely non-commercial. They do not make any revenue at CodeChef as it is a non-profit educational initiative. All of CodeChef’s operations, technology, infrastructure, and management costs were sponsored by Directi. Over time they intended to subsidize some of these costs through strategic partnerships with other companies as well.
CodeChef – Competitors
The top 3 CodeChef competitors are:
TopCoder, Inc.
Services Sunrise Mentors Private Limited
LeetCode
Together they have raised over 16.5M between their estimated 416 employees. CodeChef’s revenue is ranked 3rd among its top 10 competitors.
CodeChef – Growth and Revenue
Bhavin Turakhia, the CodeChef owner said “All our existing programs, contests, etc. will continue to remain exactly as they are, and will only grow better in our new home. This change in custodianship will mean that we have access to greater resources, teams, technology, platforms, and capital.”
It indicates that the contests will always remain free, and we will always be a community-focused and community-driven organization.
Moreover, CodeChef is going to launch a new product, and that is a paid product. CodeChef started making revenue long before Unacademy came into the picture. They already had a certification program and corporate offerings before Unacademy took over the custodianship.
Unacademy has announced the acquisition of CodeChef, in June 2020. The acquisition is likely to help the Facebook-backed firm to launch coding skills vertical for school kids.
“Codechef is one of the best platforms in the world for programmers and their vision is aligned to what we do here at Unacademy Group,” said Gaurav Munjal, co-founder, and CEO of Unacademy while announcing the development on Twitter.
“All our existing programs, contests, etc. will continue to remain exactly as they are, and will only grow better in our new home. This change in custodianship will mean that we have access to greater resources, teams, technology, platforms, and capital,” said Anup Kalbalia, CEO of CodeChef.
The Unacademy learning program is another method of said revenue-generation. However, there have been other free initiatives that CodeChef has launched after coming under the custodianship of Unacademy. They have already added 30+ video editorials to different problems. And all of this has been possible only because the company now has larger access to resources that this collaboration with Unacademy has provided CodeChef with.
CodeChef is no longer a not-for-profit, and have thus removed that phrase from the website’s footer, and the CEO said that it will subsequently, remove it from other parts as well. Again, to reiterate the CEO also said that each and every existing feature/initiative will continue to be free, and they will support all our programs as we have always done.
CodeChef announced the Go for Gold Project in 2010. The goal of the Go for Gold Project is ambitious as the CEO said that “we want an Indian team to win the ICPC contest, one of the biggest competitive programming challenge in the world.”
He also said that the change won’t happen overnight, so their plan is to support learning and reward improvement. They’re providing ongoing scholarships, incentives, promotions, tech assistance, and training for Indian students. With a little push to get started, their mission is to change the world and give Indian students a little more exposure.
“We are committed to being completely transparent about our activities, motives, and finances. You will find details on our allocated budgets, the manner of our budget allocation, and a list of activities that we will conduct under the Go for Gold project this year” he said.
FAQs
What is CodeChef?
CodeChef is an online platform that organizes algorithms, computer programming, and programming contests for programmers. They host programming competitions and contests for students and software professionals.
Where are the CodeChef headquarters?
The CodeChef headquarters are in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
Is CodeChef owned by Unacademy?
Yes, in 2020, Unacademy acquired CodeChef and the CodeChef parent company was changed from Directi (founded by Bhavin Turakhia) to Unacademy.
Is CodeChef free?
Yes, participation in the contests was fully free and so was their Youtube channel. However, it is now unclear how CodeChef is serving under the ownership of Unacademy.
What are Codechef key people?
Bhavin Turakhia is the founder of CodeChef and its previous parent Directi, who was the key people of CodeChef, along with Anup Kalbalia, who was the CEO of CodeChef. Now, the Unacademy founders and its key executive are also among the key people of CodeChef.
McAfee is a popular antivirus software that almost all of us are familiar with but do you know the real story of John McAfee, the man behind the brand? If not, then you will be shocked to know that the face of McAfee is rather infamous in the world of technology.
The tech world is bustling with inspirational, energetic, knowledgeable, and respectable people, philanthropists, and people of sheer genius, who are born to outshine the darkness of the decades. Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Larry Page, Sergey Brin, and their kinds have been hugely influential, but a man as genius and heinous as John McAfee is rare to be found in the world of technology or any other domains.
Along with being the founder of what has been one of the most popular antiviruses in its days, John McAfee is a man who can easily claim to be one of the most colorful and notorious of characters in real life, soaked in drugs, guns, women, and illegalities of all nature, which has also seen him multiple times behind the bars.
John McAfee also managed to run for president but obviously, he failed and turned away from it later in 2020. McAfee had witnessed dreadful days, with his father being a violent alcoholic who used to take it out on his wife and son, since his childhood. Had he not had to go through such days, he might have been a better person, but destiny had it otherwise.
John McAfee died in Spain, on June 23, 2021, and this is his story.
A Look Back at John McAfee’s Past
John David McAfee was born in Gloucestershire, England in 1945 to an American father and a British mother. His father was an army man and McAfee was born on the US army base in the UK.
Though John was born in England, his family moved to Virginia soon after that where he spent his early days. His father was an alcoholic, who had anger issues, as he recounts, right from his earliest of days.
While John was only 15 years old, his father shot himself dead one day. This was a significant event that John couldn’t reconcile with till the end. His violent past seems to be instrumental in the person he later developed into.
While mentioning his father in an interview, John McAfee was also recorded saying “every day I wake up with him.”
After his father died, John eventually completed his Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Roanoake College. He further went on for his Ph.D. degree in mathematics in Louisiana, when he was caught sleeping with an undergraduate student for which he was expelled.
How did John McAfee built his career
It was true that John inherited his father’s fondness for alcohol but after he was out of the university, John had to look for jobs. He was skilled in maths and eventually started learning coding, which enabled him to look for technical jobs.
His skill in coding and the drive for employment placed him as a programmer in NASA’s New York-based Institute for Space Studies, where he joined at the final days of their Apollo program.
He left the job in there 1970 and shortly after that he went to Silicon Valley in search of jobs and discovered his love for hallucinogens, including LSD cocaine, and others along with the alcohol that was constant. Though later on, he joined Univac as a software designer and then worked as an operating system architect in Xerox, never did he detach himself from his addiction.
His constant involvement with drugs and alcohol almost left him lonely at the brink of depression, when he also decided to commit suicide but found his way to AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) and sobered down eventually.
His fortune lied in McAfee
After a brief career with Xerox, John joined Computer Sciences Corporation, where he was employed as a software consultant and later began working with Lockheed when he was introduced to the Brain computer virus, the world’s first computer virus.
Confronted with this new threat that had the potential of causing limitless damages to PCs, McAfee decided to counter this virus with the help of software programs. In this way, he launched McAfee Associates in 1897.
He started the company initially from his home and ultimately found his way to wipe out the first computer virus of its kind and limit the total damages done by the virus.
Overwhelmed by his success and an urge to share his knowledge, he published his first book in 1989 titled “Computer Viruses, Worms, Data Diddlers, Killer Programs and Other Threats to Your System“, where he wrote his concerns about the upcoming dangers of similar viruses to computer users.
McAfee, one of the pioneering antiviruses in America, was an instant hit and soon it started making around $5 million a year when another virus named Michelangelo popped up in 1992.
Initially billed as a dangerous virus, capable of unfathomable worries for computer viruses, it was rather short-lived and infected only some thousand computers in the presence of McAfee. Sales surely soared for McAfee with this feat.
John McAfee left his company McAfee Associates in 1994 when he resigned and cashed in his shares worth $100 million two years later. John seemed to have settled down with his life after his resignation when he seemed to be counseling startups and entrepreneurs along with lecturing at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business.
He was also engaged in a host of other ventures, which included Tribal Voice that later on launched the first-ever chat messaging programs in Windows. Furthermore, McAfee founded a yoga retreat near his place in Colorado and in his past time wrote books. McAfee was also involved in donating computers, during this time, to various schools.
John’s life changed so much that it almost began to seem like a dream retirement but fate simply had its ways.
McAfee’s fortune crumbled with the financial crisis of 2008 and with it, John’s life took a major bend towards the worse.
With the onset of this crisis, McAfee had to sell many of his assets and his fortune dwindled to $4 million. He sold his house and packed off from Colorado to settle in a tiny enclave of Belize, on the Caribbean coast.
Free from all the headaches and other financial troubles, John McAfee started his new ventures, which included the launch of a cigar-making business and a coffee distribution company. It is there that he met the American microbiologist, Allison Adonizio, who disclosed his plan of manufacturing a new class of antibiotics and founded a pharmaceutical company, Quorumex. However, McAfee soon took up his habit of drinking and became a regular customer of a bar nearby, where he soon became a favorite among the local drunks and the prostitutes of the area.
He even parted with the 12 years old relationship he shared with his girlfriend and became involved with a 16-year-old. His lifestyle became nastier with the influx of guns, girls, and drugs. It also began to get a lot of attention from the local police and coastguards.
Though he was famous there for his donations of arms and equipment to the local police and coastguards, his life was too conspicuous to ignore by this time. McAfee was finally arrested for manufacturing methamphetamine and the possession of unlicensed firearms, which eventually dropped charges and freed him. However, his life became too erratic to be normal by then.
In the same year, police found Greg Faull, a friend and a neighbor of McAfee’s, apparently shot dead and came seeking McAfee for the murder, mainly because of the alleged argument that he shared with Faull over the death of his dogs, who were poisoned.
John McAfee’s refuge in Politics
McAfee denied killing his neighbor and managed to flee to Guatemala without being arrested, all the time arguing that his life was at risk there because the same offender who killed his neighbor might come looking for him.
He was finally arrested by the police in Guatemala, soon after which McAfee suffered heart problems, for which he wasn’t extradited to Belize and in turn found his way to the United States.
McAfee had long been disgusted with his antivirus product that was still registered under his name and also became vocal about his hatred. He even launched a video titled “How To Uninstall McAfee Antivirus” that featured John McAfee frolicking with other half-clothed women, wielding guns, and snorting bath salts.
He was again arrested for a series of other crimes, which included drunk driving and the possession of firearms, suspected of high caliber and ammunition. In the meanwhile, the court case for the murder of Greg Faull, which was silent but loomed at the background resulted in the issuance of a wrongful death lawsuit that urged McAfee to pay compensation. To avoid all these John seemed to find his refuge in politics.
McAfee saw him fit for the presidential nominations from the Libertarian Party but his run saw him third, followed by his vice-presidential nominations, which placed him third again
McAfee dodged taxes like never before and advocated the mining, use, and promotions of bitcoins and other cryptocurrency projects, which he headed. He also developed the Ghost ecosystem that consists of a privacy coin and an exchange.
McAfee’s Later Years followed by His Recent Death
The final twist came when he was finally arrested in Spain in October 2020 while he tried to flee to Barcelona from Turkey via airways.
John was awaiting extradition to the United States, convicted with the charges of tax evasion, concealing assets, and failing to file tax returns until June 23, 2021, when he died in his prison cell in Barcelona on the same date. As per the charges slammed against him, John McAfee, who turned 75 this year, was to face up to 30 years of jail time. However, he evaded that by ending his life apparently by hanging.
FAQ
How much was McAfee worth?
John McAfee was the former CEO of the anti-virus software company McAfee, who had a net worth of $4 million.
Why was McAfee wanted?
John McAfee was wanted on charges of tax evasion and cryptocurrency fraud in the US and If convicted, he could have faced up to 30 years in jail.
What Cryptocurrency did McAfee promote?
Authorities accuse Mr. McAfee, between 2017 and 2018, of hyping up cryptocurrencies like Verge, Reddcoin, Dogecoin in which he held a stake, then selling them for a profit when their price spiked following his endorsement. They also alleged he secretly took a cut of ICOs he promoted to followers.