Teaching Web Dev for Free is Good Business

Many tech companies are wisely investing in high-quality, free learning resources. Let's examine some examples.

Strategic Learning Initiatives:

Several platforms offer free, comprehensive learning materials, a trend that benefits both the learners and the companies themselves. This strategy is based on the principle that users who invest time learning a platform are more likely to become loyal customers.

• Webflow University: Webflow aims to cultivate a user base proficient in their platform, ensuring they build projects within Webflow, fostering long-term customer relationships.

• Netlify's Jamstack Explorers: By providing in-depth Jamstack knowledge, Netlify encourages users to build and deploy sites on their platform, increasing customer retention and engagement.

• Salesforce Trailhead: Salesforce's training program not only attracts new customers but also fosters a community of skilled users who can recommend Salesforce to others, further expanding their market reach.

• Figma Crash Course (by Pablo Stanley): While not directly from Figma, this course cleverly promotes the complementary tool, Blush, by showcasing its capabilities within the Figma workflow.

• Apollo Odyssey: By teaching GraphQL within the context of Apollo, this initiative aims to establish Apollo as the go-to solution for GraphQL development, securing long-term customer loyalty.

• WordPress Courses (Automattic): While these are paid courses, Automattic leverages its brand and expertise to create premium content, capitalizing on the existing demand for WordPress training.

• Git Tutorials & Training (Atlassian & GitHub): Both Atlassian and GitHub provide Git tutorials, subtly integrating their own tools into the learning process, ensuring long-term user adoption.

This isn't a new concept; webinars have long served this purpose. Companies like AWS, Cypress, and Appcues regularly host webinars to educate users on their technologies. The novelty lies in the presentation: These learning resources are often packaged on visually appealing microsites, mimicking the experience of a high-end coding bootcamp, but completely free.

Bias and Value:

While this approach is effective marketing, it's crucial to acknowledge the inherent bias. Free learning materials from a company will naturally highlight the benefits of their own technology. This isn't inherently negative, but it's important to maintain a critical perspective.

Alternatively, paid learning resources, like those offered by Frontend Masters, offer an unbiased learning experience, focusing solely on providing high-quality education. The success of these platforms depends entirely on the student's success, creating a win-win scenario.

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