HOW TO TELL IF YOU SHOULD LEARN TO CODE (before you even start)
Not everyone should become a developer. That said, people psyop themselves into thinking coding is not for them when they might actually be well suited for it. Could that be you?
Not everyone should become a developer. That said, people psyop themselves into thinking coding is not for them when they might actually be well suited for it. Could that be you?
Unsurprisingly, the quickest way is just to try it. Go learn Python from automatetheboringstuff.com for a few weeks and you’ll quickly learn if it’s worth pursuing further.
If you’re not sold yet, here’s a few clues that you might be better at coding than you think.
If you’re not sold yet, here’s a few clues that you might be better at coding than you think.
1. You’re pretty good at Excel
Even cobbling together an IF statement in a cell shows above average logical skill. If you know what a VLOOKUP is or you can do conditional formatting in Excel then you’re already doing coding! Replace cell A5 with a variable name and let’s go.
Even cobbling together an IF statement in a cell shows above average logical skill. If you know what a VLOOKUP is or you can do conditional formatting in Excel then you’re already doing coding! Replace cell A5 with a variable name and let’s go.
2. You have a technical hobby
You have to be focused and disciplined to get good at golf, or drones, or guitar. That is a 100% transferable soft skill.
You have to be focused and disciplined to get good at golf, or drones, or guitar. That is a 100% transferable soft skill.
3. You are good at synthesis
If you are better than average at picking up new pieces of info and slotting them into your broader knowledge, you’ve got a big advantage.
I’m very good at synthesis. It’s one of my primary strengths, and a big reason I’ve gotten this far so fast.
If you are better than average at picking up new pieces of info and slotting them into your broader knowledge, you’ve got a big advantage.
I’m very good at synthesis. It’s one of my primary strengths, and a big reason I’ve gotten this far so fast.
4. You are curious
The best devs are curious. If you’re expanding your horizons and wondering “what will happen if I try it X way” then you’ve got a valuable and transferable skill.
The best devs are curious. If you’re expanding your horizons and wondering “what will happen if I try it X way” then you’ve got a valuable and transferable skill.
5. You are good at Googling
A surprising amount of coding is researching things. Design patterns, solutions to bugs, code snippets… if you can do independent research beyond the summary on Wikipedia, you could just as easily be combing StackOverflow.
A surprising amount of coding is researching things. Design patterns, solutions to bugs, code snippets… if you can do independent research beyond the summary on Wikipedia, you could just as easily be combing StackOverflow.
If a few of those tells apply to you, it’s worth trying it out for a month and seeing if you take to it. The worst thing that can happen is your head hurts a little and you spent some time on the PC instead of Netflix.
If you hate it after a month, stop. If you like it, great!
If you hate it after a month, stop. If you like it, great!
I recommend starting with Python via automatetheboringstuff.com or your favorite FreeCodeCamp tutorial. Python is simple to learn and extremely powerful. Once you’re comfortable you can start putting it to use IRL with @BowTiedDevil’s substack and write bots to earn $$.
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