Codu, an initiative started by a former Lead Developer Niall Maher, Codú stemmed from a personal need to delve deeper into tech topics after observing a lack of in-depth discussions at Dublin tech events. Codu emphasises accessibility to coding education without formal qualifications. By providing a platform for employers to connect with hundreds of developers annually, Codu facilitates talent acquisition. Addressing gender disparities in tech, Codu collaborates with Codú:her, an initiative led by Carolina Cobo, to create inclusive spaces for women in their community events. While Codu received recognition at jsday.ie, the focus remains on community-driven initiatives rather than traditional media accolades. Codu transitioned into monetisation efforts, including cash sponsorships and partnerships with companies for event promotion. Notably, their most popular events often require minimal effort, such as casual networking gatherings. Catering to a wide range of tech enthusiasts, from novices to seasoned professionals, they’re work is helping developers grow their network and ensure that coding becomes a more inclusive industry
I interviewed Niall to find out more
- What was your background before you began Codu?
A coder! I was working as a Lead Developer at the time I started it. And had been coding for a few years.
- What was the inspiration to create Codu? Why did you think there was a gap in the market?
I wouldn’t say I spotted a gap more than I scratched my own itch. I went to some tech events in Dublin and I didn’t see people going deep on topics so that’s what I started to do with Codú.
- How did you go about getting customers in the early days, has that changed since?
We are very early days, all of the funding for my events/community over the last few years has been out of my own savings. It was a hobby. It’s only in the last 6 – 12 months that I thought about monetizing things. We started taking cash sponsorships last year, and because the scale of the community and events has grown so drastically (from 5 or 6 people in a room to over 200) we recently started reaching out to companies to setup partnerships and sell our events like a conference.
- You run a lot of events and have a lot of support groups, what are some of the most effective events and support groups you’ve run since the start
Surprisingly, the lowest-effort ones end up being the most popular. This months networking event which we just advertised as “Pizza and networking with no talks” has over 300 people on the list which blows my mind. I think there is just a strong desire for people to get out and meet people. Especially in the post-Covid era where a lot of people are isolated.
We also run a free weekly mentorship session online, that’s much smaller and focused on helping people accelerate their careers. That’s probably more rewarding than even some of the larger events because I hear the stories and see people getting jobs and promotions.
- What type of customers do you find are coming to you, in terms of experience or qualifications that they have?
Our customers are usually large tech companies who want to reach developers, they make it possible to do all of this work for developers for free. As for our members, we have the entire spectrum of experience; from taking their first steps into learning to code to some of the most senior and seasoned developers in the world.
- If someone has no experience and wanted to get into coding, what advice would you give them?
You don’t need a degree and you can learn pretty much everything you’ll need to know to get your first job for free online. And then once you start learning, be consistent. Nobody is born with the ability to code, consistency and learning a little every day will compound over the years.
- How does Codu help employers who are looking for new hires?
By partnering with us they can connect with 800-1200 developers in person each year! If that doesn’t help you find talent, I don’t know what will. We also work with our partners to ensure that we are helping them reach their goals by keeping an eye out for the types of profiles they are looking for and connecting them with the right people.
- Coding is a very male dominated industry. What has Codu done to try to get females or people from different underrepresented interested in a career in coding?
Thankfully, I’m not alone in trying to solve this problem. I work with the very talented Carolina Cobo, who runs our Codú:her initiative. This is our secret hangout for all the women in our community. Having Carolina work with me on all of the events makes sure that there is always women represented at our events too. We get a really diverse crowd, and that’s something I’m really proud of.
- Has Codu won any awards or been featured in any reputable media since your launch?
We won “Most valued JavaScript community member (business)” at jsday.ie last year. I’ve been bad with traditional media so maybe that needs to change soon!
- What other organisations or initiatives in Diversity and Inclusion in Ireland are Codu big fans of?
Focusondiversity.ie! Your work is what connects me to all the things that are going on. It’s a really good site to have bookmarked and to revisit to get highlights. I don’t spend too much time watching what other people are doing and try to focus more on how we can as a community continue to improve.