A few years ago, I was having a conversation with a colleague of mine about how television is filled with cooking reality shows and reality TV in general. We wondered what a reality show about programmers would even look like. It was a joke to us at the time, and we never took the idea seriously, but someone else had the same idea and actually created it.

Web Dev Challenge is an internet show that could easily be on TV. It features a group of competing programmers who are given a specific task to build; they have 30 minutes to plan their project and four hours to build it. The concept is great, but the execution is even better. It starts slowly, as Season 0 reminds me more of a standard YouTube show than a reality series. However, after Season 0, the show really finds its stride.

The direction becomes faster and emphasizes not only the technical programming aspects but also the interaction between the competitors. Many of the participants are well-known in the community through their YouTube channels and general internet presence. These are what I like to call 'programming influencers.'

The show combines fun and education perfectly. It is a great choice for programmers who want 25 minutes of relaxation while simultaneously learning about new technologies, methodologies, and the perspectives of other developers as they build software.

Details

Created by : Jason Lengstorf
Hosted by: Jason Lengstorf
Guests: Jason Lengstorf, Annie Sexton, Shruti Kapoor ...and more