My Journey with Apple Coding Academy: From Self-Doubt to Growth
How Apple Coding Academy restored my confidence as an iOS developer, opened my eyes to AI, and transformed my career.
Sometimes professional growth doesn’t start with a new course — it starts when you recognize that something isn’t right.
I was a senior iOS developer. Years of experience, shipped projects, solid technical knowledge. But something didn’t fit. A constant feeling that, despite everything, I wasn’t enough. And the worst part: I couldn’t tell if the problem was me or my environment.
The first step toward growth isn’t learning something new — it’s recognizing that something needs to change.
The Breaking Point
The year before, I had joined a company that looked great on paper. A company that promoted diversity and an open culture. But once inside, reality was different.
Leadership wasn’t aligned with the culture they promoted. Communication didn’t flow. Ideas weren’t welcome unless they came from the top. I felt like my contributions weren’t valued, and when I tried to contribute, the response was indifference — or worse, resistance.
It wore me down. I started doubting myself. Am I really a senior? Do I really know what I’m doing? I felt timid, nervous, swallowing things I knew weren’t right. The classic cycle where a toxic environment feeds insecurity, and insecurity makes you tolerate the toxic environment.
On Impostor Syndrome
Impostor syndrome doesn’t always come from a lack of knowledge. Sometimes it comes from being in a place where your value isn’t recognized. And when no one validates what you do, you start believing it’s not worth anything.
My Foundation: Family
If there’s one thing that kept me standing during that time, it was my family. My wife is someone with incredible initiative — she dares to go further than I would. She pushes me, challenges me, reminds me of what I’m capable of when I forget it myself.
And my daughter. Watching her grow, learn new things every day, marveling at her curiosity… How could I not want to grow for her too? My family isn’t just my motivation — they’re my reason to bet on myself.
I have a partner who dares to go further than I would, and a daughter who amazes me as I watch her grow. How could I not want to grow for them too?
Discovering Apple Coding Academy
I had been seeing content from Apple Coding Academy for a while. Their ads kept reaching me, but I always thought: “It’s just another course. Another zero to hero.” I had already consumed resources from all the popular platforms — programs, courses, books, video tutorials. I’m sure you have a few in mind too.
But something was different: the price. It was considerably higher than what I was used to paying. And that made me think. Because let’s be honest — how many cheap courses do you have piled up that you never finished? When you pay little, you unconsciously reduce the value of the content. When the investment is real, it hurts not to make the most of it.
There was also a disclaimer that caught my attention when scheduling the first call. Today, March 18, 2026, I quote: “Having this interview does not guarantee access to the program, despite having the necessary financial means.” Not everyone gets in even if they can afford it. That speaks to a community that guards its quality.
Months later, still feeling insecure, I finally scheduled a call with Jon Ander, AC Academy’s manager. There was a brief questionnaire beforehand — something short so Jon would have context before the conversation.
And here’s what really struck me: Jon had already reviewed my LinkedIn. He already knew about my career path, what I had done. We didn’t start from zero — we started from a point where I had already been seen.
The Value of Being Seen Before You Even Start
In a tech world where you’re often just another number, having someone take the time to review your profile before talking to you says a lot. It’s not a minor detail — it’s the difference between a transaction and a relationship.
Jon suggested I start with the Swift Developer Program instead of the Mastery I had in mind. He could have sold me the more expensive option, but he didn’t. We went through the program, he gave me an honest overview, and recommended I build the fundamentals first. That says a lot about AC Academy: it’s not just training, it’s a community. And communities take care of their own.
Swift Developer Program
The instructor was Arturo Rivas — an excellent teacher who keeps curiosity alive and never lets a class get boring.
But the most valuable thing I took from Arturo wasn’t a technical concept. It was watching someone with great confidence who, like everyone, doesn’t know everything — but isn’t afraid. When an unexpected question came up, a doubt outside of what was prepared, or those bugs that only appear when you’re doing things live, Arturo handled it naturally. No nerves, no pretending to know it all.
That was transformative for me. Seeing that you can be professional, confident, and humble at the same time. That you don’t need all the answers to be valuable.
As classes progressed, I relearned things I already knew and dove deeper into what I thought I had mastered. And with each session, my confidence grew. The content ranges from fundamentals — Apple’s history, Swift, playgrounds, data types — all the way to patterns, clean architecture, and SwiftUI. There was always something new to learn, no matter how small.
The tutoring sessions with María Clotilde were an incredible complement. Her challenge-projects reinforced knowledge in a practical, engaging way. I passed the Swift Developer Program with an outstanding grade.
Accessibility with Julio
When the Accessibility training opened up, the instructor was Julio. I knew accessibility existed, but I had never truly implemented it in my career. Why? Because in many teams, it’s implemented because you’re forced to, not because you want to. And that changes everything.
Julio is a knowledge machine. His expertise goes far beyond the surface — he has solid foundations and knowledge to debate with evidence, with proof. And if the proof doesn’t exist, he creates it. That mindset of technical rigor mixed with genuine passion for doing things right is something you don’t find easily.
This training made me understand that accessibility isn’t a checkbox — it’s a responsibility. And when you implement it because you genuinely want your app to be for everyone, the result is completely different.
The Shift: Leaving the Company
With the confidence restored thanks to AC Academy, a moment of clarity arrived: I didn’t have to endure an environment that wasn’t adding to my growth. If I love what I do, if I’m good at what I do — why stay where my value isn’t recognized?
I made the decision to end the employment relationship. I spent a couple of months without a job. I had confidence in myself, but also a family that depended on me. It wasn’t easy. But the confidence I had rebuilt allowed me to face that period with determination instead of fear.
And there, once again, my family was the foundation. My wife supporting me, my daughter reminding me why it’s worth betting on yourself.
AI Changed the Rules of the Game
The Refresh Workshop arrived — an exclusive bonus for AC Academy alumni — and with it, Julio sat me down in front of AI and took away my fear.
Everything I feared about artificial intelligence vanished. Not because AI is simple, but because I understood something fundamental: it’s not about using AI — it’s about knowing how to orchestrate it.
Building on what I learned, I started creating scripts, tools, and plugins to integrate into my workflow. Not replacing how I work, but amplifying it. AI became a multiplier, not a substitute.
And this showed in interviews. When I started applying for new positions — senior positions, without hesitation — there was one in particular where the interviewer and I, together with AI, built a small MVP live. What impressed them wasn’t the AI itself, but my workflow: how I orchestrated it, how I integrated it naturally into the development process.
An Uncomfortable Truth
If you’re not using AI today, you’re years behind. But if you’re using it without understanding it, you’re just as lost.
- Create your own scripts and tools that integrate into your flow
- Integrate AI into your workflow, don’t replace your workflow
- Know what to ask it and what not to — understand its limits
- Use specialized agents, don’t depend on a single chat
- AI amplifies your knowledge, it doesn’t replace it
The Present: Swift Mastery + Agentic Engineering
Today, March 2026, I’m an active student in the Swift Mastery Program 2026. A program that takes everything to the next level — diving deep into architecture, advanced patterns, and best practices within the Apple ecosystem. This edition started on February 2, 2026, with Julio as the instructor and María Clotilde as the tutor — a role shift that showcases the versatility of the AC Academy team. Last year’s tutor was Alejandro Mohamad, a talented developer I didn’t overlap with in that role, but whose work speaks for itself.
At the same time, I bet on the new Swift Agentic Engineering Program — the first mostly hybrid training I’ll take with AC Academy, starting May 4, 2026. Because if I learned anything, it’s that AI isn’t going away, and those who know how to build agentic systems will define the future of development.
Connecting the Dots
From fearing AI at the Refresh Workshop to training in agentic engineering. Every step at AC Academy built on the previous one. The training isn’t isolated courses — it’s a path.
My Interview with Julio
If you want to learn more about my story, here’s my interview as a former and current Apple Coding Academy student on their YouTube channel:
In this conversation, I talk about my career path, how I found AC Academy, what it meant for my career and personal life, and why I keep investing in this community.
Closing Thoughts
Betting on yourself isn’t an expense — it’s an investment. An investment in your confidence, your knowledge, your future. And sometimes the best investment isn’t the cheapest one, but the one that truly transforms you.
If you’re at a point where you feel something isn’t right, where you doubt yourself, where impostor syndrome has you paralyzed — give yourself the chance to find an environment that lifts you up. One where you’re seen, where you’re challenged, where you grow.
Betting on yourself isn’t an expense, it’s an investment. And the best investments are the ones that transform you.
If you want to learn more about Apple Coding Academy, visit their website: acoding.academy or follow them on LinkedIn.
And if you’re interested in the Swift Developer Program, the 8th edition starts April 7, 2026 — and spots are still open. You can find more details here.
