Should startups only hire senior developers? The conventional wisdom says yes, but what if hiring junior developers is actually a startup's secret weapon for building a strong, collaborative culture?

In this episode, we talk to Purity Health's Chief Technology Officer, David Andrews, and Chief Product Officer (and NSS grad!) Fletcher Watson. David and Fletcher share why they've made it a priority to hire junior developers from the beginning. They discuss how they create a supportive culture, mentor new team members, and help them find their career paths.

Plus, we get a real-world look at how their team uses generative AI tools like GitHub Copilot and the "strong guardrails" they’ve put in place—like mandatory code reviews and complete test coverage—to ensure quality. This is a must-listen for aspiring developers who want to know what supportive companies look for and how great teams are built or startups looking to hire junior developers.

00:33 Welcome & Introduction
01:06 Fletcher Watson's Journey: From Teaching in Korea to NSS
03:58 David Andrews' Story: A Serial Entrepreneur & Technologist
06:04 Roles at Purity Health: CTO vs. CPO
07:01 What is Purity Health? (Mission & Tech Stack)
11:53 The Startup Case for Hiring Junior Developers
14:42 Why Juniors Are Key for Building Culture
20:42 How to Mentor: Making Juniors Feel "Comfortable"
27:57 Helping Developers Find Their Path
38:25 Integrating Generative AI at a Startup
39:35 "Strong Guardrails" for Using AI
44:10 Using AI to Build and Review Tests
50:15 Build Guardrails to Avoid "AI Salvage"
53:47 Technology Guilty Pleasures
57:18 Final Thoughts


LINKS:
Purity Health: https://www.purity-health.com/
Nashville Software School: https://nashvillesoftwareschool.com
GitHub Copilot: https://github.com/features/copilot