Thoughts on coding bootcamp if I DON'T want to be a software engineer?

I may have the opportunity to go to a 4 month coding bootcamp free of charge (normally they are like $10-15k). I would be receiving severance and unemployment so financially I can afford to do it without any stress.

I would love to work for a healthcare tech startup and eventually (5 or so years from now) start my own company. I am a bit of a Luddite but I have done some basic coding on CodeAcademy. My aim is just to understand technology and software engineering better and develop some basic coding skills. I know a coding bootcamp won't make me a real SWE.

My sister @NotFrozenYetStillChosen is against it because she thinks ChatGPT will make any basic coding skills obsolete and if I do a SWE course then that sort of funnels me into that line of employment. She also thinks I can develop the skills I'm seeking on my own & that any startup is more focused on the team you bring. If I want to be a CEO/founder I should learn more business. She's very successful and knows business stuff so her opinion is pretty informed.

I do think she has a point but I'm still very drawn to this. My knowledge of technology is embarrassingly inadequate yet I find it so interesting….computers are like magic.

My other option is to get another big pharma job & pocket the severance as a bonus.

What do the nerds here advise? Especially the business nerds.

Edit: thank you business nerds, I will finish my project management certification instead and learn tech things on my own!!!

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A bootcamp would introduce you to the basic concepts, but the basic stuff is only helpful if you go on to do coding as a career.

If you want it to support an existing career in project management or management, the basic stuff and nitty gritty details aren't really helpful. You'd be better served understanding project architecture and management , stuff that the bootcamp grads I've met don't tend to have good knowledge of.

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Thank you!!! Yes I think I will finish my PM certification instead.

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