Command AI (fka CommandBar)’s Post

Three Princeton students developed a platform for teachers to review code. One day, they added a charming little feature... It was SO GOOD they dropped everything to work on it. Story of how 3 classmates stumbled on a product used today by 𝟐𝟓𝐌 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐬 / 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡 👇 Introducing James, the founder of CommandBar 🔥 The story of this guy is nuts... James initially built a startup to solve a problem he had as a student. A tool for computer science teachers to give feedback on their code. After piling up features their product had a problem... It had become incoherent 😣 The team decided to introduce a feature to fix product usability. >> A CMD+K shortcut ⌨️ It was an epiphany! 🤯 It worked so well they thought: "Why don't more products have this interface?" So the team decided to apply to YC with this idea. They thought: "If we get in, we'll work on this business for the summer" They got in! 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬 James & his team hacked the Superhuman signature API. It allowed them to find the emails of founders already familiar with CMD+K. They recorded demos & sent them to these founders... Boom: 30% reply rate! It was the seed of their initial customer base. Word of mouth kicked it: "We weren't doing anything intentional to cultivate inbound. It just happened" 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐬 & 𝐁𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐬 But then the tech bubble burst two months after their Series A. They realized they had a bull market product in a bear market. The team had to react fast... A couple of bold moves changed everything for them: 1. Repositioning They repositioned to compete in the digital adoption space. Adding features and changing their marketing and sales strategies Embracing an existing category changed everything. "We would spend 20 min explaining what CommandBar was. After that, it took us 2 min" 2. Build the minimum The list of missing features to compete in that category was endless... Using 3 unique insights below, the team re-invented the space one feature at a time. 3. Quick sales iterations James used his Sales decks to lead this iteration process. "Each week the sales team would iterate on the pitch deck, and see how the changes would land" "The sales decks of today are our landing pages of the future" 4. Embrace their category The team did their best to show on Market Maps. Then re-used them across their websites & sales materials. They also built competitors' pages: "We built competitor pages early to establish our product against others. It signals how we viewed our product". 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬 The shift paid off! 💥 CommandBar grew to 25M end users and reached millions in ARR. In less than 3 years, it went from a niche product... to becoming thriving startup in a competitive space 📈 ______ A huge thank you to James for sharing his story 🙏 To watch the full interview: bit.ly/cmdbar (remove the spaces)

"It wasn't just about learning to code; it expanded my self-conception. Coding felt right, like finding a new chord progression that resonates deep within. My thirst for knowledge was unquenched, and so, university became the new chapter. At the start of the year, Auckland University of Technology welcomed me as I embarked on a double major in Data Science and Software Development." 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gj6kUaa5 #CodingJourney #DataScience #SoftwareDevelopment #ContinuousLearning #AUT

Plenty of folks learn traditional coding in schools. So why shouldn't there be courses on Bubble? Meet Taylor Valore, an adjunct professor teaching software fundamentals at NYU Stern School of Business. He needed to teach his students software fundamentals without bogging them down in coding exercises. By the end of the semester, his students had 10 fully-functioning apps — all built on Bubble. Read more on the blog on how the course went — and how you can launch your own course at your institution. #AI #NoCode #Education

Conquering computer science can be a thrilling journey, but it also requires dedication and focused effort. Here are some tips to help you ace your classes and solidify your coding skills:   1. Plan and Conquer: Don't be a last-minute warrior! Create a flexible study schedule that incorporates lectures, assignments, and self-study. This will keep you on track and prevent cramming. ️   2. Be an Active Learner: Don't just passively read. Engage with the material. Take notes during lectures, ask questions, and participate in discussions.   3. Practice Makes Perfect: CS is a hands-on field. Don't just memorize – code! Find practice problems online, take on personal projects, or participate in coding challenges.   4. Embrace the Community: You're not alone! Connect with classmates, join online forums, or find a coding buddy. Sharing knowledge and troubleshooting together can be a huge help.   5. Think Outside the Textbook: The world of CS is constantly evolving. Explore new technologies, follow tech blogs, and stay updated on industry trends. This will keep you motivated and broaden your skillset.   6. Reward Yourself: Studying can be tough, so celebrate your achievements! Take breaks, reward yourself for completing tasks, and maintain a healthy work-life balance. Remember, the key to success is consistency and curiosity. Keep these tips in mind, stay passionate, and you'll be well on your way to becoming a coding pro! Feel free to share your own study hacks in the comments! #computerscience #Cloudcomputing #Azure #AWS

You're supposed to be confused and lost in the initial stages of your learning. And that's normal. This is the single most important advice I'd like to give to Computer Science students. Everyone of us didn't start off writing code after doing a 2-week bootcamp. I can attest to the fact, that it required months (sometimes Years) of research, reading, developing, tinkering around to see what works and what doesn't, critical thinking, to get where we are now. We like things to be comfortable and quick, but that's the opposite of learning to code. People sometimes spend decades behind Computer science to understand the fundamentals and even after that, we still think we haven't understood enough. So, if you are in the beginning stages, and are overwhelmed already, just take solace in the fact, that no one got where they are after couple months of studying. You're seeing other's successes, not their struggles. There's always more to learn, no matter where you are. The beginning steps are a lot difficult in comparison, but when you get past it, that's when your journey really starts. What do you think? Let me know in the comments section!

Completed task given by Code Alpha Task: Create a Student Grade Tracker. Users can input a student's name, subjects, and marks, and the application calculates grades for each subject, as well as the average, minimum, and maximum marks. The Student Grade Tracker is designed as a streamlined tool to simplify tracking and analyzing students' academic performance. With a single Java file handling all the logic, the application is fully functional and operates through a console-based interface for easy, text-based interactions. Data Entry: Users can enter students’ names, select multiple subjects, and input their marks for each subject. Grade Calculation: The program automatically calculates and displays a grade for each subject based on the marks entered. Performance Summary: The application provides an overall summary, including the average mark across all subjects, as well as identifying the highest and lowest marks for quick insights. Why It’s Useful: The Student Grade Tracker is an effective tool for educators, students, and academic institutions. It simplifies the process of managing and tracking student grades, reducing the need for manual calculations and allowing for quick assessments of a student's academic strengths and areas for improvement. The system’s summarized performance data enables educators to make data-driven decisions about student progress and identify students who may need additional support in certain subjects. It’s also useful for students who want to monitor their own progress and set academic goals, creating an organized and efficient way to stay on top of their academic performance. Features: * Users can add student names, subjects, and their respective marks. * The system calculates grades for each subject automatically. * Provides a summary including average, minimum, and maximum marks. Github link : https://lnkd.in/ga8DpKqS #codealpha 

Conquering the Code: Tips for New Computer Science Students Hey fellow learners! I've been diving into the world of computer science recently, soaking up knowledge from experts and my own explorations. Here are some insights I've gathered that I believe will be helpful for new CS students like myself: 1. Master the Data Flow: Before diving into code, visualize the data flow. Imagine how data moves through the program, like water through a pipe. This mental model will make coding much clearer. Dry run your code with sample inputs on paper to solidify your understanding. 2. Build a Strong Foundation: Don't try to sprint before you can walk. Start with fundamental concepts like variables, data types, and control flow. These are the building blocks of everything you'll create later. 3. Get Your Hands Dirty: Coding is a hands-on skill. Don't just read about it – experiment! Play around with code, make changes, and see what happens. This is how you'll truly learn and develop your problem-solving skills. 4. Focus on Understanding, Not Just Competition: While participating in coding contests can be valuable, don't prioritize them over building a solid foundation. Practice and understand concepts first, then use contests to test your knowledge. 5. Think Before You Code: Don't jump straight into coding. Analyze the problem first. Grab a pen and paper, break it down step by step, and consider edge cases (unusual inputs) to ensure your solution is robust. Dry run your approach with at least two different inputs to catch potential flaws. 6. Embrace Incremental Improvement: Don't strive for perfection right away. Start with a basic solution that works, then gradually optimize it for efficiency or readability. 7. Consistency is Key: Dedicate at least one hour daily to practicing coding. Regular practice is essential for building your skills and confidence. Bonus Tip: Sharpen your logic by solving puzzle-type problems. These can be a fun and effective way to improve your problem-solving skills, which are crucial for success in computer science. Remember, the journey to becoming a skilled coder is a marathon, not a sprint. Embrace the challenges, enjoy the process, and never stop learning! <Happy coding/>

🤓 What I've been hyper-focusing on lately: 🧑💻 Harvard's massive online class CS50 (playing on hard mode for people with previous programming experience) is the most fun I've had learning in a long time. I'll never complain if I get to spend my entire day plugging away at logic puzzles, but this has been one of those Profoundly-Reinvigorates-My-Love-For-Figuring-Things-Out™️ kind of experiences. 🤖 When I graduated from bootcamp, I could write decent web programs, but wasn't comfortable with my (lack of) depth of knowledge in computer science fundamentals - something that persisted through my first couple of years being a dev - and this has been such a satisfying way to continue closing that gap. 🤔 Diving into C for the first time has improved my understanding of how memory actually works by a factor of about a million. The weekly problem sets are ~just tedious enough (and they have servers for running automated tests on your homework programs 😮 Seriously, look at that green wall of smiley-faced passing tests - so satisfying)! 🧑🏫 Balancing out that practice-to-theory ratio with some more formal CS instruction has made so many concepts click in ways that hadn't before. I'll almost always choose hands-on learning over lectures, but I find returning to theory after gaining some practical experience is always a huge boost to my holistic comprehension. I swear this isn't an ad, but I would highly recommend CS50 for my bootcamp grad developer pals (or just nerds who love hyper-focusing on logic problems in general)!

Explore the basics of computer science with #Google's #TechDevGuide, a perfect resource for #NewToTech learners to build #ProgrammingSkills and #ProblemSolving abilities. #LearnToCode #CSFundamentals #TechCareers #FutureInTech #SoftwareDevelopment #CodingJourney Are you new to computer science and wondering where to start? Google's [Tech Dev Guide](https://lnkd.in/g_vR_q-5) is a fantastic resource designed to guide beginners through foundational concepts and practical skills in computer science. Here’s a breakdown of what makes this guide valuable and how it can help shape your tech journey. Why Start with Google's Tech Dev Guide? The guide is structured for those who are "new to CS" and helps you build a solid understanding of key concepts in a simple, engaging way. It covers fundamental areas, including programming, data structures, algorithms, and coding best practices. Plus, it provides real-world examples to make complex topics accessible. What You’ll Learn? Programming Fundamentals: The guide walks you through the basics of programming languages, often using Python, JavaScript, or Java. It includes hands-on coding exercises and interactive examples, ideal for beginners to start coding immediately.    Problem-Solving Skills: Understanding algorithms and data structures is essential for solving real-world problems. This guide focuses on practical examples and coding challenges that help sharpen your logical and critical thinking skills. Coding Exercises and Challenges: Each topic has exercises tailored to your current skill level, whether you're a complete beginner or looking to reinforce your understanding. These exercises build confidence and prepare you for the kind of problem-solving expected in tech roles. The Path Forward Following the guide can also lead to deeper learning in areas like systems design and artificial intelligence, depending on your interests. Many of the topics align with interview preparation, so it’s also a great tool for students or job seekers looking to enter the tech industry. Final Thoughts For anyone starting in computer science or looking to expand their skills, Google's Tech Dev Guide provides a step-by-step, approachable pathway. It's a mix of theory, practice, and challenge that sets up a strong foundation in CS and helps you progress in your tech journey confidently. If you're ready to dive in, check out the [Tech Dev Guide](https://lnkd.in/g_vR_q-5) and start your journey today!

Overcoming the Initial Hurdles in Learning to Code 💡 As a first-year Computer Science student, I’ve faced my fair share of challenges while learning to code. One common problem many newcomers encounter is the feeling of being overwhelmed by the vast amount of information and not knowing where to start. I’d like to share a strategy that has significantly helped me overcome this hurdle. Problem: Feeling Overwhelmed by Learning to Code Solution: Breaking Down the Learning Process into Manageable Steps 1. Set Clear Goals: Start by defining what you want to achieve. Are you looking to build a web app, understand algorithms, or dive into AI? Having a clear goal helps to stay focused. 2. Choose the Right Resources: There are countless tutorials, courses, and books out there. Pick a few highly recommended ones and stick to them. For example, Codecademy for interactive learning or Coursera for structured courses. 3. Practice Consistently: Dedicate a specific time each day to practice coding. Even 30 minutes a day can lead to significant progress over time. 4. Join a Community: Engage with fellow learners through online forums, coding groups, or study partners. Platforms like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and LinkedIn can be great places to start. 5. Build Projects: Apply what you learn by working on small projects. Start with simple ones and gradually increase the complexity. This not only reinforces learning but also boosts confidence. 6. Seek Feedback: Don’t hesitate to ask for feedback on your code from more experienced developers. Constructive criticism can help you improve faster. By breaking down the learning process into manageable steps, I was able to make steady progress and build a strong foundation in coding. Remember, every expert was once a beginner. Keep pushing forward, and don’t be afraid to ask for help when needed. I hope this helps anyone who’s just starting their tech journey. Feel free to share your experiences and tips in the comments. Let’s support each other in this learning adventure! #TechJourney #LearningToCode #CodingTips #PersonalBranding #ComputerScience #TechCommunity