Coding is often viewed as a daunting language for adults, let alone children, but 17-year-old Aryan Poduri is changing that narrative. A student at Stanford Online High School, Poduri was inspired to act after watching his parents struggle to explain programming concepts to his younger sister. Realizing there was a vacuum of accessible resources for young beginners, he spent nine months developing a unique curriculum that balances technical fundamentals with engaging, hands-on activities.

His book, GOAT Coder, introduces kids to the world of Python by guiding them through the creation of popular games like Wordle and Tic-Tac-Toe, while subtly weaving in advanced topics like Artificial Intelligence and Data Science. Since its release in April 2025, the book has become a hit on Amazon, praised for its child-friendly graphics—which Poduri designed himself—and its ability to demystify "what happens behind the screen." Beyond the success of his debut book, Poduri is a burgeoning tech talent who has interned at data firms and co-authored research papers, proving that age is no barrier to being a thought leader in the digital marketplace. Moving forward, he aims to expand the series and eventually transition into entrepreneurship, all while encouraging peers to view software engineering as a career as accessible as any other.