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“40 million technical jobs go unfilled due to lack of skilled talent, a number expected to double by 2030” (CodeSubmit). 

We are seeing an unprecedented need for technical jobs globally, and organizations claim talent shortage is one of the top risks they are facing (Gartner). The downstream impacts are many: roles take too long to fill, competition drives up salaries, and businesses risk missing their goals. Savvy organizations are becoming more creative with their talent pipeline. They are tapping into a global talent pool with laser focus and upskilling their current employees. Enter, Digital Innovation One.

About Digital Innovation One

Digital Innovation One (DIO) is the largest educational community for software developers in the world. Their open platform helps aspiring and experienced developers learn, upskill, and find job opportunities. Take one example: creates a practical training “boot camp” for DIO, developers learn about this opportunity through the community, and upon finalizing the bootcamp, AWS gains access to the successful graduates for immediate hire. According to DIO, this targeted strategy reduces time to fill roles by up to 60%.

We interviewed Iglá Generoso, the founder and CEO of DIO, who in 2 years has built a community of more than 1 million developers.

Why did you start DIO?

We believe education changes lives. In the past, professionals, particularly those of low-income families, had limited tools to realize their true potential. With this in mind, we designed a scalable open education platform to prepare the next generation of professionals. In addition to training them, we connect them with opportunities to work at the most innovative companies in the world. This vision resonated with developers, and we quickly became the largest online educational community for software developers.

You have more than 1 million registered developers. Tell us about your growth strategy and what made this number possible.

It’s really thanks to the network effects of boot camps and showing developers value. They come to our platform to learn a new skill, so they feel a sense of accomplishment when they graduate from training. They share DIO certifications proudly on LinkedIn and Facebook, meaning we’re very product-led, and we can reach more ambitious professionals looking to become the best version of themselves.  

Additionally, we have relationships with universities, the public sector, and expert tech ambassadors. We use all these partners and their channels to strengthen and expand our product adoption.

You have been an educator since 2007 and are a 2x Founder and CEO. What experiences do you find most relevant for leading DIO?‍

It’s all about keeping people motivated – your team, your students, or developers at DIO. Tech education for me is about practice and community. Coding is challenging, so we have designed the experience to be more joyful and social. This helps people get inspired and ready to work.

What makes DIO special compared to other platforms?

I think there are three reasons: we offer robust tools for free (and we always will), we facilitate coding practice within the platform, and our community accelerates the learning process through discussion boards and mentorship. 

How do you define success for yourself?

My north star is helping others succeed. For DIO, this means seeing others get their first job, a promotion, an international job, or even seeing developers mentor others on our platform.

What do you read and listen to - books, podcasts, music?

I love books. I recommend "Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy Seals Lead and Win". My favorite podcast is Masters of Scale.

What is next for DIO?

Our goal is to reach more than 5 million people, connecting professionals with great opportunities that enhance socio-economic development globally. We do this by building the best education product in the market, one where students and tech professionals can learn, upskill, and get hired or promoted.