Is passion really a must to succeed in the tech world?

Grace, a coding apprentice, gets called out for not being “passionate enough” about her work. But what does “passionate enough” look like and is that really what matters most in tech?

In this episode, we challenge this stereotype and explore how your skills, not your obsession, should define your success. If you’ve ever felt like passion alone doesn’t cut it, this one’s for you.

Got a tech tale of your own or some workplace drama? Hit us up at jellyfish.co/offthevpn. And don’t worry - we’ll keep it Off the VPN.

Highlights:

• Passion vs. Performance: Why passion isn’t always the key to tech success
• The “Code Nerd” Stereotype: Breaking free from the narrow mold in tech
• Balancing Passion: How to stay true to yourself while thriving in your career

Jump into the conversation:
(00:00) Intro

(02:29) Do you need passion to succeed in tech?

(03:35) Grace’s apprenticeship journey: balancing school and work

(05:06) Not “passionate enough” about coding

(05:38) Trying to prove herself at work

(08:57) Being procedural VS. creative

(10:46) The inappropriate comparison to a male coworker

(14:17) The “passion engineer” stereotype and its impact on career

What happens when our most senior engineer stops writing code altogether and lets AI handle everything? Well, you can expect projects and productivity to go out the window.

Meet Simon, who is about 30+ years into the game and fully convinced that AI will fully replace the developer. From trying to build a model that could replace the whole team, to refusing to touch a pull request without an AI agent, his workflow has gone from experimental to whack.

If you’ve ever worked with someone who is blindly chasing after shiny new tech at the expense of deadlines, quality, and team morale, then this one will feel eerily familiar.

Got a tech tale of your own or some workplace drama? Hit us up at jellyfish.co/offthevpn. And don’t worry - we’ll keep it Off the VPN.

Highlights:

• Full AI Adoption: What happens when “prompt-only” coding takes over
• Leadership Lessons: Why avoiding the hard but real conversations make problems worse
• Team Impact: How one person’s workflow can ripple across an entire organization

Jump into the conversation:
(00:00) Intro

(02:24) Loving shiny new tools after 30 years of experience
(05:15) Ambitious AI side project with zero business fit
(06:12) Only coding through AI prompts, no edits
(08:45) Slower work, more bugs, mounting frustration
(13:09) How managers should address extreme AI adoption
(23:39) Head of engineering crashes standup, chaos follows
(25:48) Telling a new junior they’ll soon be jobless

Imagine sibling rivalry at its finest, but now dip it into tech.

Meet Julian and Ava, two Ivy League computer science students with very different career paths. One’s endlessly stacking internships at Amazon, Google, and other big names, while the other’s soaking up Europe, partying, and living her best life.

When they both go after the same job… turmoil starts to enter.

Ever faced some serious competition from a sibling when it comes landing your dream job? This one’s for you.

Got a tech tale of your own or some workplace drama? Hit us up at jellyfish.co/offthevpn. And don’t worry - we’ll keep it Off the VPN.

Highlights:

• Tech Career Hustle: When family and ambition collide
• Sibling Showdown: Can you both win in tech?
• Job Hunt Drama: How far will you go to land that offer?

Jump into the conversation:
(00:00) Intro
(06:13) Different paths: internships vs. living your best life
(10:18) Should you follow the tech grind or just chill?
(12:15) The Google dilemma - who gets in first?
(13:39) When parents take your sibling’s side
(15:51) How hard work pays off in tech interviews
(19:20) The entitlement of expecting career handouts