Foundry is a premium business intelligence publication featuring 551 articles from the best founders and investors. Topics cover leadership, strategy, fundraising, growth, AI, and more.

What topics does Foundry cover?

Foundry covers leadership, investing, AI and technology, product development, founder stories, mindset and career, marketing, hiring, fundraising, strategy, and more. Articles feature insights from founders like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Sam Altman, and Jensen Huang.

Can I submit a story to Foundry?

Yes. You can submit a story at thefoundrybrief.com/submit. Foundry publishes articles featuring insights from founders and investors across all industries.

The Return on Learning to Code Is Doubling Every Six Months

18-year-old freshmen think the code will write itself. It won't. It is far more leverage to know how to code than ever before — you're going to be able to orchestrate a giant army of agents.

Key Points

It is far more leverage to know how to code than ever before — and it's more important, not less
Think of Mickey Mouse in Fantasia — you orchestrate an army of agents to build whatever you want
The return on learning to code is doubling every six months — a little code in 2024 gives massive leverage

It is far more leverage to know how to code than ever before. You don't have to be in the weeds on everything — you're going to be able to orchestrate this giant army of agents.

The Wrong Conclusion

I've been meeting a lot of 18, 19-year-old freshmen who say — well, the code will write itself, right? I don't have to study this stuff anymore. No. That's not true at all.

It is far more leverage to know how to code than ever before. It's actually even more important. It will make you way more powerful. You don't have to be in the weeds on everything — you're going to be able to orchestrate this giant army of agents.

It is far more leverage to know how to code than ever before. It's more important, not less.

Mickey Mouse in Fantasia

I think of Mickey Mouse in Fantasia — learning this new magical ability. Suddenly all the brooms are walking and talking and dancing.

It's this incredible menagerie of being able to build whatever the heck you want, whenever you want, literally from any computer.

Build whatever the heck you want, whenever you want, from any computer.

The Doubling Curve

I try to come up with a Moore's Law type thing — the return on learning to code is doubling every six months.

Learning a little code in 2020 was not useful — you'd get blocked, you wouldn't know how to deploy or configure something. In 2023, a little code plus ChatGPT got you fairly far. In 2024, a little code plus agents gives you massive leverage with tools like Cursor and others.

Extend that forward. Six months later, you're going to have even more power. Programmers are on this massive trajectory of increased power.

A little code in 2020: useless. In 2024: massive leverage. The return is doubling every six months.