The program

A software engineering program built like a real engineering organization.

Web Surfing Studios is a selective community program for new and junior engineers, led by an experienced senior engineer. Participants build real applications and websites, strengthening their skills while building experience they can confidently explain in technical interviews.

Why we run it

WSS is a passion project led outside normal working hours — a platform to build exciting projects, collaborate with talented people, and tackle technical challenges as a team. There is no monetary benefit for members or leadership.

What members do get has proven far more useful: credible collaborative engineering experience you can explain in interviews, and technical achievements they can carry into their professional careers.

Time commitment & participation

Most members spend around 5–10 hours per week. WSS does not track participation by hours. Participation is measured through completed engineering stories, and members are expected to complete a certain amount of work each month to remain active.

Some members complete one larger story while others complete several smaller stories. Stories are sized so the expected monthly contribution can reasonably be completed within roughly 5–10 hours per week.

Project teams generally hold a 30-minute weekly meeting. An additional 30-minute evening lecture with the program lead may also be offered and is optional. We understand that school, work, exams, and life fluctuate; communication matters more than perfect attendance.

There is no fixed end date after onboarding. Members may stay involved as long as they would like as long as they continue meeting active participation requirements.

Typical pace: 5–10 hours/week; Assignments, collaboration, and team meetings
Team meeting: 30 minutes; Weekly, with your project team
Optional lecture: 30 minutes; Evenings, with the program lead

Who this is for

You have a basic understanding of software concepts such as data structures and object-oriented programming
You can consistently dedicate a few hours per week over several months
You may be a student, career changer, or someone looking to strengthen a resume

Mentorship model

WSS is not private tutoring. Phase 1 is primarily self-paced with community support available when you need it.

Once you move into project work, mentorship happens through:

Team meetings
Pull request and code review feedback
Technical discussions with other developers
Architecture and implementation guidance
Optional one-on-one time with the program lead

You are expected to investigate problems and learn independently, but you are not expected to figure everything out alone.

Admissions process

Applications open in cycles through our Candidate Portal. The Candidate Portal contains the current application steps, requirements, and deadlines.

Application cycles tend to move quickly once they open, so applicants should complete each requested step as soon as they are able.

WSS reviews applications personally and looks for foundational programming knowledge, motivation, consistency, realistic availability, willingness to learn, and readiness to contribute in a collaborative environment.

Our primary stack is .NET and C# with React on AWS, but the program emphasizes core engineering principles and process over specific tools.

See the full technology stack

Program phases

Phase 1
Learn how we work
About 40 hours of directly applicable, self-paced learning
Phase 1 is the introduction to WSS. You learn the stack, Git workflow, development standards, and engineering process through hands-on assignments designed to prepare you for collaborative project work.
Most participants complete the roughly 40 hours over several weeks to a few months, depending on their schedule and prior experience.
- Build functional, data-driven applications
- Work with C# and the WSS development stack
- Learn Git branches, commits, pull requests, and review expectations
- Learn how WSS applications are structured
- Practice the same workflows you will use on project teams
- Join the developer community while you progress
Phase 2
Real-world projects
Flexible, typically a few months
After completing Phase 1, members can join a project team of their choice and begin contributing to collaborative applications and infrastructure. Members can choose the projects and types of engineering work they are interested in, whether that means frontend, backend, databases, cloud, automation, testing, DevOps, or trying several areas.
Depending on the project and your experience, you might fix a production bug, build an API endpoint, create a React component, modify a database schema, add logging or monitoring, update Terraform infrastructure, write automated tests, improve a CI/CD pipeline, or implement a feature from an engineering ticket.
- Own sprint stories that contribute to team goals
- Pick up AWS services, DevOps practices, and deployment
- Debug production issues using centralized logging
Phase 3
Advanced concepts
Ongoing
Cloud architecture, microservices, and large-scale system design — including infrastructure-as-code changes and cross-service platform work.
- Author Terraform in per-application workspaces
- Work across distributed services and messaging pipelines
- Take on architecture-level initiatives across applications

What applicants should already know

The program begins with foundational material but is not beginner-level. Success depends on your commitment and your ability to learn and apply new concepts independently.

WSS is built for motivated people, not perfect resumes. You should already understand basic programming concepts, but you are not expected to arrive knowing the full WSS stack. You bring the motivation and willingness to learn; the program provides the structure, environment, mentorship, and progressively harder engineering experience.

Applicants should be comfortable writing basic programs and understand concepts such as variables, functions, conditionals, loops, classes, object-oriented programming, and basic debugging. Professional experience is not required.

WSS may not be for you if...

You are looking for paid employment

WSS is not employment and does not provide wages or benefits. It is an educational software engineering program built around hands-on professional experience.

You are completely new to programming

Phase 1 teaches the WSS stack and workflow, but participants are expected to already understand basic programming concepts.

You mainly want a certificate

WSS focuses on experience, contribution, and practical engineering growth rather than completing material for a credential.

You want everything taught step by step

Support and mentorship are available, but participants are expected to investigate problems, learn independently, and take initiative.

You cannot consistently participate

The program is flexible, but collaborative projects depend on members communicating and contributing consistently over time.

What members leave with

Members leave with experience they can describe in interviews — not just technologies listed on a resume, but stories about how they worked inside a team, shipped through a real pipeline, and debugged production issues.

Hands-on experience across pull requests, code review, CI quality gates, and human-approved releases
Familiarity with .NET, React, AWS, and the professional workflows that connect them
Credible collaborative engineering experience you can explain in interviews
Professional references for eligible participants who demonstrate consistent contribution

What you can show employers

You cannot publish WSS source code, but you can list WSS on your resume, link to public applications, describe the features and systems you contributed to, and discuss your work in interviews. Eligible participants may also receive a professional reference verifying their contributions.

Ready to apply?

When applications are open, the Candidate Portal contains the current steps, requirements, and deadlines.

Apply to Web Surfing Studios