David Smith

[David Smith @DavidSmith42020]

This is a sincere question to #lambdaschool employees. Your answer would help me, and I think many people, think of you differently. Forgive the brevity here but, I am focusing on facts >
Say I am help desk person making 35K. I take your Web program. I Drop out of it at week 5.

[David Smith @DavidSmith42020]

Bros being Bros

To hell with everyone else …

[Chris Lee @cglee]

It’s interesting observing the bifurcated response to the latest judgement/settlement against Bloomtech. While critics and affected ex-students rejoice in their comeuppance, many VC-affiliated and startup folks are defending Bloomtech and Austen.

I think the different responses can be analyzed via one’s appetite for collateral damage. Startups view themselves as disruptors and a truly disruptive idea will definitely lay waste to legacy institutions. Collateral damage, in the name disruption, is a sign of positive change and progress.

However, I think this perspective only works when the disruption is “punching up” or making an attempt at usurping outdated institutions. When the disruption causes collateral damage by “punching down”, or hurting vulnerable end users, it shifts from being disruptive to being predatory.

This is where the startup mindset falls apart. If I’m being generous, the startup mindset will take a “means justifies the ends” perspective. But imo education is different and the same formula for b2b saas cannot be applied to education because 1) end users in education are extremely vulnerable and particularly susceptible to predatory tactics, 2) edu institutions can do massive harm to individuals.

No one cares if you screw over Microsoft, that’s a great sales victory! But you’re the bad guy if you screw over an aspiring software engineer who is struggling financially.

We judge b2b saas startups by their best victories but we can’t judge education institutions this way. We have to judge education institutions by how they treat the most vulnerable students.

[David Smith @DavidSmith42020]

@dianeadenhayes @TimSheehanNews @BitwiseInd sneaky indeed

[Vincent Woo @fulligin]

gonna call it here, gotta eat lunch, but you can read the complaint for yourself here: https://t.co/42yOV6kTcI

[David Smith @DavidSmith42020]

@tayroga @johncalhoom @ctjlewis I think @tayroga nails it. The undersdeliver part was to such an extent that it caused litigation from many including more than 1 state. Predatory is one way it would be described

[Dave Peasant, Aspiring Lorax @aspiringpeasant]

LOL apparently @bloomtech fired all its instructors so they could replace them with...get this shit...AI

People are gonna pay Bloom $30k to use a chatbot and Copilot.

@ctjlewis this is, I believe, a new low.

[David Smith @DavidSmith42020]

@aspiringpeasant @ctjlewis @bloomtech Holy Cow! My man Austen is so great at finding the next “hook” … what absurdity is this? It looked strange to see a such a popular instructor let go, but now it makes sense .

[David Smith @DavidSmith42020]

@heycowb0y @pageman @pwang @bloomtech @Austen @ossia @freeCodeCamp All u need for a team is two people and knowing Austen, his BS can easily pass for another body

[David Smith @DavidSmith42020]

@knopppppp @Austen

[David Smith @DavidSmith42020]

New math!!! Damn my fat fingers

[David Smith @DavidSmith42020]

@austen and @bloomtech defining new match

[Vincent Woo @fulligin]

New BloomTech outcomes report just dropped, covering 2021. Despite the intro's rosy outlook, this may the bleakest report yet.

To hit a "90%" placement rate, the school now classifies 37% of its graduates as "Non-job Seeking". These students will not receive tuition refunds.

[David Smith @DavidSmith42020]

Shocker! Is the downward slope too steep for my not Austin to recover ?

[Hacker News Bot @newsycombinator]

BloomTech, previously Lambda School, cuts half of staff https://t.co/4PLnMGgxeq

[David Smith @DavidSmith42020]

Do you remember when you joined Twitter? I do! #MyTwitterAnniversary

[Arnold Ventures @Arnold_Ventures]

Students are using arbitration to fight back against coding boot camp Lambda School, now known as @bloomtech. They say the school shared inflated job placement rates and misled them into costly income share agreements.
https://t.co/wOc94CelxD

[Layla @heycowb0y]

More Bloom Tech (@bloomtech) / Lambda School controversy 🤔🤔

[David Smith @DavidSmith42020]

@fearandlethargy @Austen But he is proving that BS goes farther and faster !

[David Smith @DavidSmith42020]

No. The answer is No. Final answer . #bloomtech #lambdaschool

[David Smith @DavidSmith42020]

@whatsupdangerrr What about just not paying them? U will take a hit for sure but if ur financial situation is in that type of shape then it would feel much better to keep 900 bucks per month than not

[Cher Scarlett 🌌 @cherthedev]

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.

Income Share Agreement boot camps like Lambda School are the payday loans of education.

Predatory and harmful.

We need to regulate this garbage out of education.

[David Smith @DavidSmith42020]

@tre3house1 @Austen @bloomtech What recent news ?