Deployment Portal
Release orchestration
Selective · remote · senior-led
Build the experience you can’t get from another tutorial.
Web Surfing Studios is a selective community program that helps junior and early-career software engineers build real-world experience through production applications, professional engineering workflows, and hands-on mentorship.
- 50+
- active members
- 2020
- program founded
- Volunteer-Run
- built and operated by volunteers
Internal
WSS Relic
Centralized logging
Insights
Delivery metrics
- 5–10 hours per week, fully remote and flexible
- Real applications, built for actual use and real-world experience
- Professional tools and workflows used by software teams
- Structured onboarding before joining collaborative projects
- Senior-led mentorship and practical engineering guidance
- No tuition or fees — the focus is learning, building, and community
Why WSS exists
There is a gap between finishing a degree or bootcamp and being able to do the job. This program exists to close it.
01
Knowing how to code is not the same as knowing how to work as an engineer
Unlike a course or bootcamp, WSS is built around learning by doing. Members are expected to already have foundational programming knowledge; we provide the environment, structure, mentorship, and real-world experience that help turn that knowledge into professional engineering skills.
The gap most early-career developers face is not syntax. It is learning how to work on a team, contribute to a codebase they did not write, and operate within processes they are expected to follow.
Unfortunately, the new normal is that even many entry-level software engineering roles expect candidates to already have some additional experience.
02
So we operate like a real software organization, not a classroom
Our teams work from development tickets, collaborate with other developers, participate in code review, use professional tools and workflows, and contribute to live applications they can confidently discuss with future employers.
Structured onboarding comes first. Once you are ready, you join a project team, take ownership of scoped work, and contribute changes that ship.
03
And it is free, because revenue was never the point
WSS is a community program built around education, experience, and professional development — not revenue. There is no tuition, no participation fee, and no monetization of member contributions.
What members actually do
Work from a story, change an unfamiliar codebase, open a PR, respond to review, deploy to Dev, and troubleshoot through centralized logs.
Pick up a story and ship it
Work from a development ticket, change an unfamiliar codebase, open a pull request, and respond to review feedback before your work merges.
Deploy and debug in Dev
Release your changes through the Deployment Portal, then troubleshoot issues using centralized logs — the same loop professional teams use.
Collaborate on a live product
Join a project team on public-facing applications and internal platform tools, owning scoped work that contributes to team goals.
Grow into platform work
Move from feature development into infrastructure, CI pipelines, and cross-service design as you progress through the program.
What you leave with
Experience you can actually explain
Talk through pull requests, code review, production debugging, deployments, cloud services, and engineering decisions you personally worked on.
Real projects you can point to
Work on public applications you can show employers and confidently explain what you contributed.
Team experience
Work inside codebases you did not create, collaborate with other developers, respond to review feedback, and contribute through a shared engineering process.
Professional references
Participants who contribute consistently and meaningfully may become eligible for a professional reference describing their work and participation.
What members say
Real feedback from participants
“This was a great beginner-friendly opportunity to work with a team of aspiring web developers under the mentorship and guidance of a professional web developer. The resources that were provided were incredibly helpful and the ability to work with many different but relevant technologies and applications was invaluable.”
“This job is extremely beneficial for someone that needs to build their resume and gain valuable experience and knowledge. I have only worked here 3 months and I have learned so much, and have already increased the value of my resume. Whenever I have gotten stuck, I reached out for help and everyone was super supportive and helpful. This is a great company to work for, and allows for a very flexible schedule if you are in school or something alike.”
“Job” and “company” are the reviewer’s wording. WSS is an educational program, not employment.
“This program has honestly been one of the best things I've done to grow as a developer. You start with foundational lessons and then move into real team projects that feel like what you'd experience in an actual dev job. You're always learning and working with others, but it never feels overwhelming. And since it's remote with flexible hours, it's easy to stick with, even if you've got a lot going on.”
“Very understanding in general and if you put in the work you get a lot out of it! If you get stuck don't be afraid to ask for help everyone from what I've seen is willing to lend a hand you just have to reach out.”
How the program works
Start with structured, self-paced onboarding. Join a real project team. Grow into advanced engineering work as your skills and interests develop.
Interested in joining?
Applications open in cycles throughout the year. Bring foundational software knowledge, a willingness to learn, and a few hours each week.