reporter: 21-year-old zach sims is one of the masterminds behind the new site cocadamy. in the first four days of the year alone the free site has signed up 130,000 new tuesdayers eager to crack the code -- users eager to crack the code of learning code. >> it's pretty staggering to see the numbers of people that signed up. reporter: proof positive that there's still a massive craving around the globe to develop the next big thing. >> i think programming is the most important skill in the 21st century and i think people are finally starting to realize that. there are a lot of women and people that wouldn't traditionally be learning to program. reporter: learning code is a first step and can ultimately lead to finding a job in an economy starved for computer professionals and young people are taking notice. new york institute of technology's manhattan campus is seeing a 40% rise in applications from students who might have been lured into once hot professions like finance years ago. >> this is not just a cycle. this is here to staith. reporter: the dean of the institute s