# Developer Education — Sylvain Kalache

URL: https://www.sylvainkalache.com/topics/developer-education

My writing, talks, podcasts, and projects about Developer Education.

## Selected work

- [Hamed Silatani — Co-Founder and CEO at Uptime Labs](https://www.sylvainkalache.com/content/hamed-silatani-co-founder-and-ceo-at-uptime-labs.md) (2026-05-28; Humans of Reliability): Every pilot trains for engine failure, but most engineers face their first major incident unprepared — why communication, coordination, and decision-making need deliberate simulation practice.
- [DevOps Foundations Professional Certificate](https://www.sylvainkalache.com/content/devops-foundations-professional-certificate.md) (2023-01-01; edX): edX Professional Certificate program covering DevOps fundamentals — CI/CD, infrastructure as code, monitoring, and culture.
- [African Leadership Group Acquires Coding School Holberton](https://www.sylvainkalache.com/content/african-leadership-group-acquires-coding-school-holberton.md) (2022-07-13; TechCrunch): African Leadership Group acquires Holberton School to expand access to software engineering education across Africa.
- [6 strategies for running more effective startup board meetings](https://www.sylvainkalache.com/content/6-strategies-for-running-more-effective-startup-board-meetings.md) (2021-06-23; TechCrunch): Many founders see board meetings as a chore. Communicate between sessions, prepare two-deck formats, debrief employees — here's how to make them actually useful.
- [Four Reasons to Take Notes by Hand](https://www.sylvainkalache.com/content/four-reasons-to-take-notes-by-hand.md) (2021-04-22; Forbes): Why handwriting notes improves retention, comprehension, and creative thinking compared to typing on a laptop.
- [Holberton Raises $20M as It Pivots to Become an EdTech SaaS Company](https://www.sylvainkalache.com/content/holberton-raises-20m-as-it-pivots-to-become-an-edtech-saas-company.md) (2021-03-25; TechCrunch): Holberton School raises $20 million and pivots from running schools directly to licensing its curriculum as a SaaS platform.
- [Life-Long Learning in the 4th Industrial Revolution](https://www.sylvainkalache.com/content/life-long-learning-in-the-4th-industrial-revolution.md) (2020-12-22; UNESCO): UNESCO International Youth Conference keynote on why education must shift from memorization to problem-solving, critical thinking, and collaboration.
- [An Education for the 4th Industrial Revolution](https://www.sylvainkalache.com/content/an-education-for-the-4th-industrial-revolution-flii-2020.md) (2020-02-19; FLII — New Ventures): Talk at the Latin American Impact Investing Forum (FLII X) in Mérida, Mexico on how project-based, peer-driven education models prepare the next generation of engineers, representing Holberton School.
- [Holberton School, l'école qui forme les ingénieurs informatiques de demain](https://www.sylvainkalache.com/content/holberton-school-l-cole-qui-forme-les-ing-nieurs-informatiques-de-demain.md) (2020-01-01; Forbes France): Comment Holberton School forme la prochaine génération d'ingénieurs informatiques avec une pédagogie innovante.
- [New Societies Require a New Skills-Oriented Pedagogy](https://www.sylvainkalache.com/content/new-societies-require-a-new-skills-oriented-pedagogy.md) (2019-12-01; Inter-American Development Bank): Inter-American Development Bank talk on rethinking pedagogy to focus on skills over credentials in the modern economy.
- [Forget free college. The future of the US workforce depends on a higher education worth paying for](https://www.sylvainkalache.com/content/forget-free-college-the-future-of-the-us-workforce-depends-on-a-higher-education-worth-paying-for.md) (2019-11-08; CNBC): Why making college free misses the point — the real challenge is making education relevant, practical, and aligned with workforce needs.
- [Holberton Opens Its Software Engineering School in Medellín](https://www.sylvainkalache.com/content/holberton-opens-its-software-engineering-school-in-medell-n.md) (2019-06-10; TechCrunch): Holberton School expands to Medellín, Colombia, bringing its peer-learning software engineering program to Latin America.
- [An Education for the 4th Industrial Revolution](https://www.sylvainkalache.com/content/an-education-for-the-4th-industrial-revolution.md) (2019-06-01; StartSe): How project-based, peer-driven education models are preparing the next generation of engineers for a rapidly changing world.
- [Transforming Education for the Next Generation of Software Engineers](https://www.sylvainkalache.com/content/transforming-education-for-the-next-generation-of-software-engineers.md) (2019-05-01; DockerCon): DockerCon talk on how alternative education models are reshaping the pipeline of software engineering talent.
- [Docker in Education Panel](https://www.sylvainkalache.com/content/docker-in-education-panel.md) (2019-05-01; DockerCon): Panel discussion at DockerCon on how Docker and containerization are transforming education and developer training programs.
- [Show Me the Money: Is Lowering Costs in Higher Education an Economic Imperative?](https://www.sylvainkalache.com/content/show-me-the-money-is-lowering-costs-in-higher-education-an-economic-imperative.md) (2019-04-01; ASU GSV Summit): ASU GSV Summit panel on the economics of higher education and whether cost reduction is essential for the future of workforce development.
- [Education Technology for the Future of the Workforce](https://www.sylvainkalache.com/content/education-technology-for-the-future-of-the-workforce.md) (2019-01-01; Lab4U Talks): Interview on Lab4U Talks about how education technology is shaping the future workforce and the role of alternative training models.
- [Improving tech education doesn't start with tech](https://www.sylvainkalache.com/content/improving-tech-education-doesn-t-start-with-tech.md) (2018-08-30; VentureBeat): Why fixing technical education requires addressing systemic issues in access, pedagogy, and workforce alignment before adding more technology.
- [A Different Model for Developing Software Engineers](https://www.sylvainkalache.com/content/a-different-model-for-developing-software-engineers.md) (2018-06-01; Nexus): Nexus conference talk on peer-learning, project-based curricula, and why the traditional CS degree model needs disruption.
- [Holberton School Scales Training to Meet DevOps Demand](https://www.sylvainkalache.com/content/holberton-school-scales-training-to-meet-devops-demand.md) (2018-05-01; The New Stack): Interview with The New Stack on how Holberton School is scaling its training programs to meet growing DevOps and software engineering demand.
- [Holberton School Raises $8.2 Million](https://www.sylvainkalache.com/content/holberton-school-raises-8-2-million.md) (2018-04-09; Forbes): Holberton School closes an $8.2 million funding round to expand its peer-learning software engineering program.
- [Sylvain Kalache, Holberton School | DevNet Create 2018](https://www.sylvainkalache.com/content/sylvain-kalache-holberton-school-devnet-create-2018.md) (2018-04-01; SiliconANGLE theCUBE): Interview with SiliconANGLE theCUBE at Cisco DevNet Create 2018 on Holberton School's approach to developer education and training.
- [Apprenticeships could solve tech's diversity problem](https://www.sylvainkalache.com/content/apprenticeships-could-solve-tech-s-diversity-problem.md) (2018-01-15; VentureBeat): How apprenticeship models borrowed from traditional trades could create more diverse, accessible pathways into the tech industry.
- [Education for the Fourth Industrial Revolution](https://www.sylvainkalache.com/content/education-for-the-fourth-industrial-revolution.md) (2018-01-01; World Economic Forum): A World Economic Forum podcast exploring how education systems must adapt to prepare workers for the fourth industrial revolution.
- [Higher Education Innovation Summit](https://www.sylvainkalache.com/content/higher-education-innovation-summit.md) (2017-12-17; C-SPAN): Presenting at the U.S. Department of Education's Higher Education Innovation Summit on rethinking how we prepare students for the tech workforce.
- [8 Predictions for the Future of Work](https://www.sylvainkalache.com/content/8-predictions-for-the-future-of-work.md) (2017-12-01; World Economic Forum): The World Economic Forum outlines eight predictions for how work, education, and skills will evolve in the coming decades.
- [Silicon Valley sucks at training software engineers — and why it matters](https://www.sylvainkalache.com/content/silicon-valley-sucks-at-training-software-engineers-and-why-it-matters.md) (2017-11-01; VentureBeat): The Bay Area leads the world in software but has failed to build scalable, accessible pipelines for the next generation of engineers.
- [Holberton Gets Backing From More Industry Executives as It Looks to Scale](https://www.sylvainkalache.com/content/holberton-gets-backing-from-more-industry-executives-as-it-looks-to-scale.md) (2017-10-25; TechCrunch): Holberton School secures new investment from tech industry leaders as it expands its software engineering education model.
- [Filling Amazon's 50,000 jobs means finding new ways to train software engineers in the U.S.](https://www.sylvainkalache.com/content/filling-amazon-s-50-000-jobs-means-finding-new-ways-to-train-software-engineers-in-the-u-s.md) (2017-09-18; VentureBeat): Amazon's massive hiring push highlights the shortage of trained software engineers and the need for alternative education pathways.
- [Help wanted: Americans don't need more degrees, they need training](https://www.sylvainkalache.com/content/help-wanted-americans-don-t-need-more-degrees-they-need-training.md) (2017-08-01; VentureBeat): College degrees are an expensive, slow path to employment. The case for competency-based, project-driven technical education that scales.
- [Dev bootcamp shuttering shows challenges of teaching coal miners to code](https://www.sylvainkalache.com/content/dev-bootcamp-shuttering-shows-challenges-of-teaching-coal-miners-to-code.md) (2017-07-13; VentureBeat): The closure of Dev Bootcamp exposes the gap between coding bootcamp hype and the reality of building sustainable technical education at scale.
- [Holberton, a Two-Year Tech School, Emphasizes Diversity](https://www.sylvainkalache.com/content/holberton-a-two-year-tech-school-emphasizes-diversity.md) (2017-06-07; The New York Times): How Holberton School's two-year software engineering program is building a more diverse pipeline of tech talent.
- [The School That Teaches Full Stack Engineering, for Free](https://www.sylvainkalache.com/content/the-school-that-teaches-full-stack-engineering-for-free.md) (2017-06-01; TFiR): Interview with TFiR on Holberton School's tuition-free model for teaching full stack engineering and its approach to project-based learning.
- [What do Ubuntu and NE-YO have in common? A Coding Summer Camp!](https://www.sylvainkalache.com/content/what-do-ubuntu-and-ne-yo-have-in-common-a-coding-summer-camp.md) (2017-05-30; Linux.com): How a coding summer camp brought together Ubuntu, Grammy-winning artist NE-YO, and aspiring young engineers.
- [Pathways to Youth Employment — Apprenticeships and Work-based Training](https://www.sylvainkalache.com/content/pathways-to-youth-employment-apprenticeships-and-work-based-training.md) (2017-04-16; GAN Global): Speaker at the Global Apprenticeships Network (GAN) conference in Johannesburg on apprenticeship models and work-based training as a path to youth employment, representing Holberton School.
- [Les métiers de la French Touch, atouts pour passer les frontières](https://www.sylvainkalache.com/content/les-m-tiers-de-la-french-touch-atouts-pour-passer-les-fronti-res.md) (2017-03-21; Le Monde): Comment les compétences estampillées « qualité française » aident les professionnels tech à s'exporter à l'international.
- [Dear President Trump: Those jobs aren't coming back — and why would we want them to?](https://www.sylvainkalache.com/content/dear-president-trump-those-jobs-aren-t-coming-back-and-why-would-we-want-them-to.md) (2017-02-20; VentureBeat): Automation is reshaping the workforce. Instead of bringing back old jobs, the focus should be on training workers for the jobs of the future.
- [New-Age School Raises $2.3 Million to Train Techies](https://www.sylvainkalache.com/content/new-age-school-raises-2-3-million-to-train-techies.md) (2017-02-06; Fortune): Holberton School raises $2.3 million to scale its alternative approach to training software engineers in San Francisco.
- [Sylvain Kalache Co-Founder of Holberton School on Business Rockstars](https://www.sylvainkalache.com/content/sylvain-kalache-co-founder-of-holberton-school-on-business-rockstars.md) (2017-01-01; Business Rockstars): Interview on Business Rockstars discussing the founding of Holberton School and the mission to reinvent software engineering education.
- [Why education should become more like artificial intelligence](https://www.sylvainkalache.com/content/why-education-should-become-more-like-artificial-intelligence.md) (2016-12-05; TechCrunch): The case for applying AI-driven personalization to education — adaptive learning paths, competency-based assessment, and project-driven curricula.
- [Is It Time to Kill the Whiteboard Interview?](https://www.sylvainkalache.com/content/is-it-time-to-kill-the-whiteboard-interview.md) (2016-11-21; Dice): Why whiteboard interviews fail to assess real engineering skills and what alternative approaches companies should consider.
- [This School Wants to Change How We Train the Next Generation of Tech Workers](https://www.sylvainkalache.com/content/this-school-wants-to-change-how-we-train-the-next-generation-of-tech-workers.md) (2016-11-12; CNN Money): A look at how Holberton School is rethinking tech education with project-based learning and no traditional lectures.
- [Next Generation of Software Engineers Need Training, Not Retraining](https://www.sylvainkalache.com/content/next-generation-of-software-engineers-need-training-not-retraining.md) (2016-09-01; CIO): The tech industry needs to invest in training new engineers from the ground up rather than constantly retraining existing workers.
- [International Botathon Finalists Selected to Present at MobileBeat 2016](https://www.sylvainkalache.com/content/international-botathon-finalists-selected-to-present-at-mobilebeat-2016.md) (2016-07-11; VentureBeat): Finalists from the international botathon competition are selected to showcase their work at VentureBeat's MobileBeat 2016 conference.
- [DevOps Students Learn the Value of Uptime With 3 a.m. Calls](https://www.sylvainkalache.com/content/devops-students-learn-the-value-of-uptime-with-3-a-m-calls.md) (2016-06-16; Linux.com): Teaching DevOps through real-world on-call rotations — how students learn the value of monitoring, alerting, and system reliability the hard way.
- [Schools Are Recording Students' Results on the Blockchain](https://www.sylvainkalache.com/content/schools-are-recording-students-results-on-the-blockchain.md) (2016-05-09; CNBC): How blockchain technology is being used to create tamper-proof, verifiable academic records for students.
- [Des Frenchies lancent une école dans la Silicon Valley](https://www.sylvainkalache.com/content/des-frenchies-lancent-une-cole-dans-la-silicon-valley.md) (2016-01-23; Le Monde): Des entrepreneurs français fondent une école d'ingénieurs d'un nouveau genre au cœur de la Silicon Valley.

[All work](https://www.sylvainkalache.com/index.md)