I was thinking of that old saying when making the title - every man must plant a tree, build a house, father a son. (Sexist, I know, but that’s how I remember hearing it… ) Why, in the name of a good cup of oolong tea, am I talking about trees and houses?!
Well, Treehouse.
In case you are not familiar, here is the scoop. Treehouse has been around for several years now and people often compare the idea behind the premise as similar to that of Lynda.com. Both business models are centered around a database of training videos. You pay monthly membership and receive access to the entire catalog of those videos. Lynda has always been known in the area of art and design, though it has grown beyond that area of expertise. Treehouse, on the other hand, is meant to teach you how to code. There is a bit of an overlap between the two, actually, since Lynda dips its toes into many subjects , but enough difference for each to find a niche. and profit.
For the longest time I scoffed at Treehouse, mostly, to be honest, after getting a few video courses on Udemy. Not that they were bad exactly, but the teaching model did not suit my personality or needs. Udemy is fantastic for specific subjects and intermediate-expert levels. I really would not discourage anyone from exploring their very vast store of courses. If interested, do look for course bundles, as they tend to pop up on various sites as promotions, just like StackSocial.
Treehouse has impressed me though. The videos are high quality, there are wonderful animations and a great structure of teaching. Videos are short and on point, and there are quizzes and coding challenges to ensure you’re paying attention. Gamification is at play, as you receive points for completion of any work, including watching a video. Basically - it is fun and you learn things, the best that life can offer.
Here is my referral link if you want to get an account, or, if you are not inclined to support your favourite programming noob - here is a link to Treehouse without any referral attached.