As someone who went to a boot camp, this doesn't surprise me at all. I don't think it's worth it for most people. BUT, I don't see them going away entirely. I'm thrilled with the boot camp I went to, and would do it all over again. Hear me out...

> Are Coding Boot Camps Worth It?

- If the first time you're touching code is at a boot camp, it's not worth it. By the time I had started a boot camp, I had been reading books and doing tutorials on and off for 2 years. Thinking in terms of product life cycle, and your programming skills are the product, you want to go to a boot camp at the beginning of the growth phase.

- If your instructor or TA is a graduate of the program, it's not worth it. We had instructors who had worked at F500 tech firms and a small class size. To me the real value was having 3 months worth of access to someone who in many cases made hiring decisions at those companies.

- If the boot camp focuses more on their curriculum more than their people, it's not worth it. Curriculums are garbage, it doesn't matter what language you learn, you should be learning how to think like a developer. It's not all about focusing on the instructors too, if you've been self-studying for 2 years, and your peer doesn't know how to open a text editor, they're going to hold you back. You want a boot camp that is selective with their applicants.

- If you're doing it for money, it's not worth it. You're not going to make an average salary right out of the school. In fact, you probably won't even be a full-time employee, plan on being a contractor for the first year. If you don't know how to find work on your own or research how to, knowing how to program isn't going to change anything.

- You're starting at the bottom, every opportunity good or bad is an opportunity to learn. Paid or unpaid take it, eventually, you will have enough opportunities to start saying no to less valuable opportunities, but until you're 100% booked, you're a yes man or yes woman. In fact don't wait until graduation.

- If you can't afford to take 6 months off and devote them entirely to programming, it's not worth it. I had saved for 2 years, paid off my debt, and instead of using the remaining money for a down payment on a house, I paid for tuition/living expenses to dedicate 3 months of uninterrupted time. I know I was fortunate enough to have this opportunity, but if you're going to do it, you need the resources to do it right. Otherwise, continue with self-study and find a mentor at a meetup.

- If you're not in a tech hub, it's not worth it. San Francisco, Seattle, Austin, Portland, Chicago, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Denver, or Montreal are good. Maybe Boston or Atlanta, don't know enough about the tech scenes there.

- If you have medical/family issues, it's not worth it. It is stressful if you have any other things going on in your life sort them out first.

I've seen a lot of people fail, but it is still very much worth it for some people. I went to a boot camp to accelerate something I was already doing. What is said about boot camps applies to education in the broader sense as well. In many cases college isn't worth it, but it doesn't mean you shouldn't go.