Don't have a CS degree and feel like you should?

You're not alone, friend. This industry is full of people just like you and me, and it sucks to feel like you don't belong. Let's fix that.

Over 20,000 copies sold to imposters just like us

"I really recommend Rob Conery's The Imposter's Handbook as a great way to reinforce those fundamentals and core concepts. Rob has been programming for years but without a CS degree. This book is about all the things he learned and all the gaps that got filled in while he was overwhelmed."

Scott Hanselman
VP / Microsoft

"The Imposter's Handbook is a great resource for any programmer, self-taught or otherwise."

Chad Fowler
Former CTO / Wunderlist

"Just finished reading, The Imposter's Handbook, it was so good I couldn't put it down."

Ashley Willis
Director of DevRel / GitHub

"Eveniet quam natus et commodi minus consequuntur enim iure magnam nam fugit voluptas."

Samantha
CEO / Founder

If you're just doing your job because you're afraid to speak up, you're being overlooked.

Take a look around your office, online, or wherever you work with other programmers. Did you know that 20% of these people are planning to leave their job this year and get a higher paying one because they have skills that are ridiculously in demand? The other 80% get to stay behind in a crappy job earning far less than they should be.
What's the difference between the 20% and the 80%? The 20% speak up and demand to be paid what they think they're worth. What do you think you're worth? It's probably a lot more than you think.
Here's the thing: great programmers are a rare find - mostly because they stay hidden in crappy jobs, burying their talent under a belief that everyone is better than them, not recognizing just how valuable they are. Burnout sets in, self-esteem drops and they give up entirely.
The demand for talent in our industry is off the charts! Filling that demand is the problem. There's simply too much mediocrity.

The Dunning-Kruger Effect is a PITA

You've probably heard of this phenomenon: people with low ability at a task or a job overestimate their skills at said task or job. Put another way: the worst programmers are the most confident and believe they're amazing. 


The opposite is also true: the best performers underestimate their skill because they're good people and don’t like to shine the light on themselves. That means they don’t speak up for themselves, lose their voice, and don’t get the recognition they deserve. 


This is the problem: you stay silent while your loud, toxic coworker gets the promotion and you end up working for them.

Introducing The Imposter's Handbook

I spent years teaching myself the subjects that go into a Computer Science degree. I looked at the curriculum for Stanford and MIT (and a few others) and dove in.


Computation, Complexity Theory, Cryptography, Algorithms and Data Structures, Lambda Calculus and more. I wrote it down and decided to share it all. 


Instead of a wall of theoretical text, I did my best to make them as human as possible, with hand-drawn sketches of complex topics that took me days (and sometimes months) to figure out. I wanted to write a technical book for humans that would convey the magic of our industry. 

YOU KNOW WHAT'S BADASS?

When someone continues improving a product well after they’ve collected your money, and makes the updates available to you super easily. Hats off to @robconery and The Imposter’s Handbook. Awesome demonstration of character.

Dan Kahler
 

SO, WHO AM I TO BE SHOWING YOU THIS STUFF?

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Looking for a Print Version? I got you...

If you're a print person and love the feel of a fine book, this might be the choice for you. The print version is currently available for the first edition only and is sold through Blurb.com (thus the weird pricing). First edition topics include: Data Structures and Algorithms Computation and Complexity Theory Lambda Calculus and Functional Programming Software Structural and Design Patterns Database theory and normalization Compilers and Language Design Essential Unix Skills

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The Imposter's Handbook, Second Edition (Digital Book)

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