whatTheFunc()?!

Episode 3 - Mark Shust on M.Academy, Laravel, jQuery POS, and AI

Episode Summary

Mark Shust, Magento developer and educator, discusses his journey in becoming a preeminent educator in the Magento world. He shares how he started with Magento 1, transitioned to Laravel, and eventually returned to Magento 2. Mark explains how he built M Academy and the process he follows to create his courses. He emphasizes the importance of organizing the curriculum in a linear learning fashion and simplifying complex topics for beginners. In this conversation, Ben and Mark discuss the role of AI in software development and the impact it has on developers. They talk about the challenges of finding the right lessons and resources in a vast amount of information and how AI can help in organizing and retrieving relevant information. They also discuss the potential dangers of AI in producing fabricated content. They touch on the importance of understanding the tools and technologies being used and the need for developers to adapt and stay on top of advancements in AI. They also discuss the different versions of Magento and the implications for developers.

Episode Notes

Takeways

• Mark Shust transitioned from Magento 1 to Laravel and eventually returned to Magento 2.
• He built M Academy to provide education and training for Magento developers.
• Mark follows a linear learning approach and simplifies complex topics for beginners.
• He organizes his curriculum based on student requests and prioritizes topics based on demand. AI can help in organizing and retrieving relevant information in software development.
• Understanding the tools and technologies being used is crucial in leveraging AI effectively.
• Developers need to adapt and stay on top of advancements in AI to enhance their skills and job prospects.
• Different versions of Magento, including open source and open core, have implications for developers.

Sound Bites

• "Every course you go through, you go in not knowing too much about the topic. I purposely do that because you only get that beginners sense of beginners once."
• "I thought [the admin grids course] was a big failure at first, which is too bad because I thought it was going to be my best course ever."
• "I definitely follow a linear learning fashion where you're just learning what you need to know when you need to know it."
• "What? Wow."
• "I'm getting involved in AI for, I think certain things like this would be great."
• "The AI experience is very much part of it."

Chapters

• 00:00 - Introduction and Background
• 08:55 - Starting M Academy and Course Development
• 20:41 - Juggling Multiple Roles and Prioritizing Topics
• 23:08 - The Challenges of Teaching Complex Topics
• 28:11 - Organizing Curriculum for Effective Learning
• 30:59 - The Importance of Simplicity in Teaching and Learning
• 33:26 - Introduction and Wow Moments
• 34:03 - AI in the Developer Experience
• 34:43 - The Role of AI in the Future of Work
• 36:09 - The Risks and Benefits of AI
• 36:46 - Mitigating the Threat of AI
• 38:19 - AI Tools Enhancing Work
• 39:06 - AI Tools Replacing Jobs
• 40:46 - AI Tools Making Work Better
• 44:32 - Stability of Magento 2 Code Base
• 47:50 - Different Realities in the Magento Ecosystem
• 52:21 - Open Source Doesn't Need to Be Free
• 57:01 - Communication Challenges in Open Source
• 01:05:54 - Building Cert Prep and Hoover Courses
• 01:06:35 - Exploring AI and Future Projects