Wes Bos has been building websites for over 25 years, starting as a self-taught web developer in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. His teaching career began at Ladies Learning Code, a Canadian nonprofit, before progressing to full-time instruction at HackerYou (now Juno College of Technology).

React for Beginners: The Breakout

In November 2015, Wes took a leap and launched his first premium online course: "React for Beginners." It was an immediate hit — 2,300 developers enrolled in the first three weeks. The course filled a gap: React was exploding in popularity, but learning resources were scattered and incomplete.

The model was perfectly suited to the fast-moving JavaScript ecosystem: deep-dive into a technology, build a comprehensive course, then re-record it when the technology updates (React for Beginners has been re-recorded multiple times).

Stacking Courses

Wes stacked course after course over the next few years: ES6 for Everyone, Learn Node, Advanced React & GraphQL, Beginner JavaScript, Master Gatsby. Each course addressed a specific pain point in the JavaScript ecosystem.

JavaScript30: The 680K-Student Funnel

In 2016, Wes created JavaScript30 — a free, 30-day JavaScript coding challenge. It became one of the most popular free coding courses on the internet, attracting 680,000+ sign-ups. This created a massive email list that converted into paid course purchases.

Syntax.fm: The Podcast

In 2017, Wes co-launched the Syntax.fm podcast with Scott Tolinski. It became one of the top web development podcasts globally, providing ongoing visibility and trust that compounded course sales year after year.

• Career revenue: $10M+ from courses
• Paid students: 55,000+ (36,322 for React for Beginners alone)
• Free students: 680,000+ (JavaScript30)
• Total reach: 500,000+ developers taught
• Podcast: Syntax.fm (top web dev podcast, co-hosted with Scott Tolinski)
• Location: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada (sole proprietorship)