Will Sentance, Founder at Codesmith and Visiting Fellow at Oxford University, explores why empathy is a foundational skill in engineering. He explains how empathetic interactions are core to building software, teams, and the trust necessary to scale tech-based companies. Will reflects on Codesmith’s mission to empower people through thoughtful communication in a non-hierarchical learning environment. He describes how empathy, as a relational tool, expands technologists’ critical communication capabilities driving clarity and collaboration, propelling their careers.

 

 

TAKEAWAYS

 

 

[00:26 ] Will is drawn to the intersection of analytical and intuitive disciplines from early education.

 

[01:45 ] Will feels a deep sense of possibility through his PPE studies and aims to pass that on.

 

[03:05 ] A mentor at Oxford influences Will’s brief foray into international relations at the UN.

 

[04:30 ] Not suited to be an employee, Will seeks autonomy and creative power in software engineering.

 

[06:00 ] Will finds software to be materially satisfying and empowering as a pathway to opportunity.

 

 

[07:20 ] A surprising response to an early JavaScript workshop reveals his teaching clarity.

 

[08:15 ] Struggling to understand complex concepts helps Will become a better educator.

 

[09:30 ] Codesmith is founded to be an alternative path to power by mastering technology.

 

[10:20 ] Teaching coding is not just technical but an empowerment vehicle for long-term careers.

 

[11:40 ] Thoughtful communication at CodeSmith recognizes others’ knowledge and emotional states.

 

[13:00 ] Empathy is about adapting communication to another person’s experience.

 

[14:30 ] Coding success requires explaining systems clearly—communication is as vital as code.

 

[16:10 ] Leaders like Sam Altman show that technical communication drives modern tech leadership.

 

[17:45 ] CodeSmith uses pair programming to instill empathy through precise verbal technical articulation.

 

[19:00 ] Empathy begins with self-understanding and is trained through iterative collaboration.

 

[20:20 ] Breaking down code for others builds resilience and fosters a capacity to learn continuously.

 

[21:45 ] How different learning speeds and imposter syndrome are combatted by sharing struggles.

 

[23:00 ] Codesmith instructors are alumni because lived experience cultivates trust and relatability with students.

 

[24:20 ] Will’s Oxford Fellowship explores how certain skills drive opportunity in an AI-transformed job market.

 

[25:50 ] The real skill is learning how to learn and explain complex ideas using unfamiliar tools.

 

[27:15 ] Codesmith interviews measure communication, problem-solving, and how applicants handle the unknown.

 

[28:30 ] The focus is on cultivating capacities, not just teaching frameworks or programming languages.

 

[29:40 ] Engineers and non-technical people alike must build clear, empathetic communication skills.

 

[30:55 ] Workshops for non-programmers empower leaders to engage confidently with technical concepts.

 

[32:00 ] Empathetic leadership respects team members’ potential rather than relying on rules-bound oversimplification.

 

[34:20 ] Scaling AI must be matched with scaling human trust across teams and organizations.

 

[36:00 ] Will warns against systems that machines understand but humans cannot, which risks alienation.

 

[37:30 ] Open-source tools preserve accessibility and transparency in a fast-moving tech landscape.

 

[38:45 ] Many leaders are not engaging with AI tools, missing key learning and leadership opportunities.

 

[40:10 ] Building the engineering mindset—problem-solving and communication—without coding.
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