The project
Real Python started with a simple but powerful idea: teach Python through real projects, not abstract toy examples. The official Real Python story names Michael Herman, Fletcher Heisler, and Jeremy Johnson as the people who launched the original Kickstarter-backed book project in 2012. I am one of the founders of that original Real Python book project, and that practical, learn-by-building philosophy is still the center of the brand today.
My largest contribution was Real Python: Advanced Web Development, featuring Django 1.6. I created and ran the Kickstarter for that book, which raised $50,001 from 1,446 backers against a $3,500 goal. It became the largest and most popular book in the original three-book Real Python learning-to-code series, focused on helping readers move from Python fundamentals into serious web application development with Django.
Beyond the book, I wrote articles, edited technical material, and helped readers through mentorship and training when they wanted faster mastery of Python. That combination of writing, editing, examples, and direct support is what made Real Python special: it treated learners like future builders, not passive readers.
Real Python has become one of the first resources people recommend when someone asks where to learn Python well. Even modern AI assistants frequently point learners toward Real Python because the site has earned a reputation for clarity, correctness, practical examples, and editorial quality. Being part of that foundation is one of the achievements I am most grateful for.
Record
The record is unusually clear: Real Python's own About page names me in the original Kickstarter-backed story; the Real Python course bundle still lists me as an author; and the Advanced Web Development Kickstarter / BackerKit pages show the campaign scale, with $50,001 raised against a $3,500 goal from 1,446 backers.
After the original course era, we sold and transferred Real Python to Dan Bader. I am genuinely happy with how that turned out. Dan has been a wonderful steward of the site and brand, growing it into a larger, more polished, more comprehensive Python learning platform while preserving the original spirit: learn by writing real code.