I self-learned to code at 30. Sharing my journey & tips for all

I graduated in 2009 and since then, I have been with tech startups in some way or the other. In 2015 was CEO at a Series A 5 Million $ marketplace. But the most free, excited and hopeful about the future I have ever been is in the past 1 year --> ever since I self-learned to code and then finally started shipping real apps (currently at $220 MRR with my micro-SaaS)

I used to got a lot of requests on sharing my journey and tips so I finally sat down and wrote about it. Sharing a quick summary here (I ended up writing 2200+ words in my personal notes which I made into an article here. It has some more helpful screenshots and graphs)

This above was my learning path, and I am sure you can relate to it too if you have tried learning a new skill

1. Do not attempt React until you know JS. Do not attempt JS until you know HTML --> You will see endless arguments about this on the internet. Every expert will furiously argue about why framework X is better than Y. Ignore all of them. Your customers don't give a shit about any of these. Just keep it simple. Either go with simple languages like Javascript and stuff like ROR, or go with the ones that your friends are proficient in.
   
   
   (this is what I mean by Goal based learning btw)

2. Have a clear why --> e.g. if you want to simply automate exiting business, you would be better served just simply learning no-code tools like Zapier and Webflow. This will really help you clearly define your learning path too. And that intrinsic motivation will keep you going when the going gets tough!

3. Build a support group --> Online forums like Dev.to are great, but what helped me the most was finding a few expert devs whom I could buzz over Whatsapp

4. Focus on the long term --> all the software experts around you? They took years to get here. So don't lose hope
   

   

   

   Aditya from Kaapi

   @adityarao310

   

   And just like that, Kaapi repo crossed 100 Pull Requests. 1% everyday, and it stacks up. Just a few months ago; all we had was a few scribbles in a notebook.

   07:41 AM - 09 Jul 2020

   0 6

I am sure this will be useful to all non tech founders here, or code newbies. If you want to learn code, and need any help in building accountability or a 2 AM friend - buzz me! I am here for you. You can do it ❤️ You probably need 40-50 hours of dedicated work and practice to get there.