Instagram co-founder backs startup helping devs fend off AI

Generative AI’s rapid development has led to AI models being able to write code. This begs the question: do humans still need to learn programming?

The short answer is yes. Through its programming courses, a startup called CodeCrafters is betting that recreating certain tools or software from scratch can help humans stay ahead of AI, which has yet to master more complex coding challenges.

Founded in 2022, the company has recently secured US$1.8 million in seed funding from Y Combinator and several prominent angel investors, including Instagram co-founder Mike Krieger and Dropbox co-founder Arash Ferdowsi.

CodeCrafters co-founders Sarup Banskota (left) and Paul Kuruvilla / Photo credit: CodeCrafters

Through the “build your own X” method, developers can “understand how their tools work at a fundamental level, not just how to use them,” CodeCrafters CEO Sarup Banskota tells Tech in Asia. Recently cash flow positive, the company counts senior engineers from firms like Google, Meta, and Grab as users.

That said, platforms like Udemy and Pluralsight already cater to developers who want to learn through this method. How does CodeCrafters find its niche and build a sustainable business?

Real working environment

CodeCrafters is run by a remote team. Banskota is based in Singapore, while CTO Paul Kuruvilla works out of the UK.

Banskota is a seasoned engineer who previously ran the growth and marketing team at web apps platform Vercel. Meanwhile, Kuruvilla is a fellow engineer with experience in running workshops for the “build your own X” method.

The two founders got the idea for CodeCrafters while working together on an open-source project. At the time, they found that existing learning materials for coding often didn’t provide feedback to users.

Those that provided feedback, on the other hand, did so through a browser-based interface. According to Banskota, this doesn’t represent real working environments.

That’s why CodeCrafters allows developers to work within their personal setup and use their preferred programming language.

“Each developer has their own way of setting up their virtual workspace, from using different text editors to adding extensions and further customizations. We want to respect all these personalizations,” Banskota explains.

See also: Bootstrapped ID firm makes millions defying edtech slump

This also means that CodeCrafters’ courses are not single-weekend affairs. One course can have as much as 55 stages.

Cash flow positive

AI-generated solutions