Part of a VC's job is advertisement (for their portfolio companies) ;-) However, in this case I couldn't find a past association between Flatiron school & Fred Wilson and/or Union Square ventures, so this article seems to be expressing genuine appreciation for the model. Maybe he likes them so much that he will invest in them in the next round :D

To understand the cost of education argument, notice the catch lies here: "teaching students skills that are directly related to job requirements." How much time of a traditional 4 year college is spent on skills that a grad would actually need or use? A lot of it is just archaic legacy. If you take those out, then the cost of education might actually compare favorably for bootcamps.

An additional (or alternate perspective) is that bootcamps are a supplement to, rather than a replacement for traditional education. Bootcamps teach hard job skills, whereas college teaches soft & social skills. Either way, they are a welcome addition!