Why did you decide to become a mentor?
I've always enjoyed teaching, and love finding ways to explain complex topics tailored to each student's understanding. Having taught myself dozens of coding languages, I view coding as a blend of creativity and logic—a skill that’s empowering and fun to learn! Besides coding, I also teach Ving Tsun Kung Fu, combining discipline and focus into all areas of my life.
My journey as a professional mentor started during the pandemic when I was stuck in Ecuador. My friend Kevin had enrolled in a game development bootcamp in Berlin, and I began teaching him programming with JavaScript. Those lockdown sessions inspired me to pursue mentoring, helping the next generation of coders build their careers.
How did you get your career start?
My story is a bit different, as I started coding in the early 90s, before the digital revolution took off. At eight, I began learning different programming languages—without the Internet. Progress was slow and often incredibly frustrating, but the rush I got from figuring things out on my own was intense, and kept me going.
Later, I pursued a career in science and earned an M.Sc. in Bioinformatics. Although I found the field fascinating, I realized academia wasn’t the right fit. I decided to start my own consulting business instead, valuing independence over a traditional career path—a decision I’ve never regretted.
What do mentees usually come to you for?
I’ve worked with a wide range of mentees: from complete beginners entering the world of coding to experienced developers adding a new language or framework to their skill set. I’ve helped mentees kickstart their freelance careers, excel in their studies, and solve challenging problems at work.
Many mentees today use AI tools to support their learning. While useful, relying on AI from day one can prove counterproductive, as it allows mentees to solve tasks without understanding them. I guide my mentees to build strong fundamentals, ensuring they can solve tasks independently while leveraging AI effectively.
What's been your favourite mentorship success story so far?
My first mentorship also resulted in my first success, as Kevin excelled to the point that he landed a tutoring job at the bootcamp he was attending. Another memorable success involved Chris, a university student who sought mentorship to complement his studies. I'll let Chris speak for himself:
The sessions with Jascha have been more valuable than eight weeks of my professor's lectures — It's money much better spent!-
Chris eventually landed a developer role and credited our sessions for bridging the gap between academics and professional work:
[The] bridge between […] academics and professional work that Jascha has woven into our sessions played a significant role in me getting offered a promotional software engineering position.-
Seeing Kevin and Chris thrive in their careers reaffirmed why I love mentoring—it’s incredibly fulfilling to witness these successes firsthand.
What are you getting out of being a mentor?
Consulting is rewarding financially, but mentoring has been fulfilling in ways that go beyond monetary value. Seeing my mentees grow, overcome challenges, and gain confidence as coders is the most gratifying part of my work. Honestly, these days I'd rather teach people how to write code than to develop software myself.
The mentorships also help me learn. Every mentee brings new challenges—different languages, frameworks, and goals—which keeps my skills sharp. However, the basics of coding never change, and so I teach a unique coding style that is hands-on and practical, intuitive and fun. Reach out today to start your mentorship and become a better coder!
