Clever Programmer Lawsuit – 3 Month Bootcamp

Want to become a developer and earn a 6-figure sum every year? Sounds promising but is it that easy? Clever Programmer made these promises with their online Bootcamp. Currently, they are facing a lawsuit for not delivering and leaving students in debt. We delve into the high-pressure sales pitch that attracts the customers and the content that leaves them wondering why!

If you are a follower, you will already know I am a big advocate for learning and education. Through this blog, I have recommended many resources including YouTube channels. I always try to choose reputable free resources where possible. You can learn everything you need if you look hard enough.

I came across and subscribed to the Clever Programmers YouTube channel some time ago. At the time of writing, they have 1.17 million subscribers. I have watched some of the published videos and they are informative and you can learn from some of them. I would also like to add that I am not receiving any incentive for writing this article. I based my opinions on the research I undertook.

Recently, I have seen negative reviews on the BootCamp offered by Clever Programmer. Students, who joined the programme expected to get results within 3 months of coding. By results, I mean a 6-figure salary and employment by one of the top tech companies in the world. Even that one line alone is enough to persuade you with your hard-earned cash, or is it?

It’s a bold statement to make. If you put in the effort there is no reason why you cannot get a job with a big tech company in the future. You don’t need to spend $20,000 to get you there. It will take time and commitment but it is achievable with hard work. Can you become an expert programmer in 3 months? Unless you have had prior experience and already know a lot it is possible. Coding is an ever-evolving industry. Ten years ago jQuery was popular. Now its served its purpose and people are opting to use vanilla JavaScript.

The Reviews

Looking at the reviews on Trustpilot. Currently, at the time of writing, there are 66 reviews. There are 74% positive reviews. It would be interesting to see what these people are doing today. Is it down to the content of the course or the hard work and dedication to learning?

Here are some of the points made in the negative reviews:

• Tutors being late or not showing up.
• Tutorials getting cancelled or hosted by people that don’t know what they are doing.
• The materials are already free online.
• Materials were stolen from other content creators.
• Ignoring requests for refunds.
• Different payments for the same content.
• Disorganised curriculum.

Also, note that if you were a reputable company you would respond to the negative feedback. At the time of writing, they only respond to positive feedback.

The Website

Taking a look at the Frontend Mastery Bootcamp website which is a subpage of the main website. At the top of the page is a 30-minute video where Rafeh introduces you to the programme. During the video, we hear about the successful students that have gone on to find a job with six-figure salaries.

The overview of the Bootcamp explains the course content and the order in which you will learn it. It goes on to show the companies that have employed both instructors and students. We are talking big names like Microsoft and Google.

Comparison

Below is the comparison table taken from the website. It says here the Frontend Mastery Bootcamp is only $15k.

What You Get

A little bit of discrepancy in what you get. Here it says the curriculum is 6 months, but it’s a 3-month program. Which one is it? The 3-month program makes it more desirable. It also states 2021, so not taking a cohort this year? The apply now button takes you to an invalid URL. This seems desperate to me and is waving a big red flag.

Back up to a $20K price and 3 months. Get the skills you need to work for a big company in 3 months. Sounds too good to be true.

The Pressure Point

By saying there have limited spots available this can make people act on impulse. You want to be the one that achieves the goal of being a 6-figure developer within 3 months right? The whole website and the video adverts make it look sleazy. I remember subscribing to a blog many years ago where the owner published posts of themselves in a flashy new car every week. It turned out to be an MLM scheme which conned people out of their hard-earned savings. That also resulted in a lawsuit.

Suitable Alternatives

As previously mentioned it is possible to get a coding education for free or for a fraction of the amount that these coding Bootcamps cost. Here are just a few of them. See also Top 10 Super YouTube Coders for Learning and Learn To Code in 2022 With 10+ YouTubers.

• FreeCodeCamp
• The Odin Project
• Traversy Media – YouTube
• Caleb Curry – YouTube

Udemy Courses

I never pay full price for a udemy course so buy them when they are on special.

• The Complete Web Developer Bootcamp
• The Web Developer Bootcamp
• The Complete Web Developer in 2022: Zero to Mastery
• The Ultimate 2022 Fullstack Web Development Bootcamp

Conclusion

It seems that the clever programmer is excellent at marketing. Whether or not they deliberately set out to charge so much or simply found a gap to exploit is another question. The bold claims that were made to be developer ready within 3 months seem outrageous and prey on the vulnerable. It is achievable to get noticed in the tech field. It takes persistence, and hard work but not $20K. If you have been affected by The Clever Programmer Bootcamp please add your experience in the comments section.

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