Aspiring Developer or Website Building Professional? Mimo Can Help Take Your Coding Skills to the Next Level

TL; DR: Learning to code is fun, simple, and accessible with Mimo. The application, available in web and mobile versions, helps users learn website-building skills, create apps, and automate tasks via bite-size challenges. With an ever-growing selection of study topics — soon to include more artificial intelligence, data science, hardware, and machine learning — Mimo creates a personalized curriculum for each user.

College degrees have long been the hallmark of educational excellence — but in recent years, they’ve come at a hefty price. In 2020, graduates who received their degrees also left school with an average of $32,700 in student loan debt.

But it doesn’t have to be that way, especially for those looking to break into the programming world. Some of the biggest tech companies around — including Apple and Google — don’t require four-year degrees as a prerequisite for employment. Today, it’s a prospective employee’s skills that matter most.

And learners can obtain those skills in a number of ways.

“In 2015, you still needed to get a computer science degree to get hired as a junior developer,” said Henry Ameseder, Co-Founder of Mimo. “Today, there are lots of online and offline businesses that can turn you into a junior developer in less time and at a fraction of the cost.”

Mimo offers affordable, app-based learning plans that help beginners break into the world of coding without worrying about college applications or student debt. The app requires no prior knowledge and lessons take as little as five minutes per day.

Each student receives a personalized curriculum based on their needs and interests. The app currently covers a range of topics, from a beginner’s introduction to programming to courses on app and website-building, task automation, and the command line.

With engaging yet bite-sized exercises, projects, and challenges, Mimo makes it easy to fit coding education into one’s daily schedule — even if you have a full-time job.

The tech industry is an undoubtedly attractive space for workers.

An overwhelming 90% of tech workers responding to the 2019 CNBC|SurveyMonkey Workplace Happiness Survey said they were very or somewhat satisfied with their job. Compared with survey results from all workers, tech workers also said they were better paid, had more opportunities to advance their careers, and were more often valued for their contributions.

Still, demand for tech talent remains strong. Researchers project that a shortage in tech skills could leave millions of jobs unfilled, causing the U.S. alone to lose out on $162 billion in annual revenue.

Mimo is working to bridge the tech talent gap by making coding education available on smartphones and tablets. The strategy makes sense: According to the Pew Research Center, the majority of Americans (85%) now own a smartphone.

“At Mimo, we want to make coding accessible,” Henry said. “The barriers to entry into computer science are still high and keep millions of people from having the confidence to pursue a developer career. When Mimo launched, the concept of teaching computer science on smartphones was pretty much unheard of. But we specifically chose to start with an app because they’re easy to get, and you can use them anytime, anywhere.”

Mimo is also making coding more accessible through Mimo x Strive School, a 100% remote yet highly interactive educational program. Students can join from any location worldwide. Based on an income-share agreement, the program is available at no initial cost. Instead of paying upfront, graduates who get hired pay back 10% of their income for 30 months.

“I must say that I entered Strive School with high expectations since all the tutors have strong solid backgrounds,” said Nathalie Mekahal, Developer at Schmiede.one, in a testimonial on the Mimo x Strive School site. “Now that my batch has finished, it is safe to say that Strive School exceeded my expectations. The curriculum is well-organized as it balances the equation of theory and practice. Tutors are proficient with their topics, and they assist students until ideas are clear. The whole team is the student’s number one supporter until the last minute.”

Dipping one’s toes in a tech industry filled with jargon and acronyms (SaaS, anyone?) can be an intimidating prospect. According to the American Association of University Women (AAUW), women, in particular, often struggle with a confidence gap when it comes to entering STEM fields.

Research also shows that 58% of tech employees of all kinds face imposter syndrome: the feeling that occurs when individuals doubt their skills and talent. (Ironically, the syndrome is disproportionately prevalent among high achievers.)

To make for a gentler learning curve when coding in JavaScript, Python, and HTML, Mimo offers lessons in easily digestible portions and encourages assurance-building exploration. Some content is even available at no cost, eliminating financial risk. And yearly subscriptions are available at highly affordable prices.

“Accessibility tops everything,” Henry said. “If you’re not sure if you have what it takes to become a developer, let us help you find out and gain that confidence.”

When students are ready, they can choose between a variety of professionally designed student experiences. The web development path, for instance, arms students with site-building skills through 13,000 small exercises, 87 concepts, and 62 projects. Similar programs exist for learning Python and SQL-powered data analysis.

As for what’s next, the Mimo team updates its technology and puts new features into production using an agile methodology designed to maximize value. The staff of self-described “rebels, readers, and rock climbers” also listen carefully to input from the app’s more than 6 million learners.

“We work in sprints and follow weekly release cycles,” Henry said. “A lot of what we work on is either based on feedback from learners or metrics that help us understand how learners use our product. We’re not looking too closely at the latest fads, but rather the megatrends, as we try to make our vision come true.”

In addition to website-building, app creation, and task automation, Mimo users can expect to learn several new skills in the near future. Stay tuned for even more areas of study on the horizon, including an upcoming focus on artificial intelligence, data science, hardware, and machine learning.

“Mimo will work on more products to make coding as accessible as it can be and help as many people as possible become developers,” Henry said.

In the meantime, check on Mimo on the App Store and Google Play.