Learning JavaScript in Public (and why I finally started)

matthew strange — Sat, 21 Mar 2026 16:39:34 +0000

Hello there

I’ve been learning JavaScript for about a month now, mostly through Scrimba, and up until recently I was just quietly going through lessons without sharing anything.

Then I came across an idea that kept coming up: learning in public.

At first, I ignored it. I didn’t feel ready, and honestly I didn’t think I had anything worth sharing yet.

Why I decided to start writing

The more I thought about it, the more it made sense.

If I wait until I “know enough,” I’ll probably never start. But if I write as I learn, a few things happen:

I understand things better

I can track my progress

I start building something people can actually see

It also shows that I’m serious about improving, not just passively watching tutorials.

What I’ve been learning so far

This past month has mostly been fundamentals, and some of it has been confusing at times.

A few things that finally started to make sense:

Named exports in JavaScript

Ternary operators vs if/else

The && shortcut

My first look at APIs using fetch()

Some topics still don’t fully click yet (like spread and rest), but I’ve stopped worrying about understanding everything immediately.

What I’m working towards

I’m not just learning randomly. I have a goal.

I want to build a restaurant POS-style system that can eventually handle orders from platforms like Deliveroo, Just Eat, and Uber Eats, alongside a restaurant’s own website.

Right now, I know that’s way above my level. So the plan is to build up to it step by step, starting with:

Learning APIs

Creating a fake orders system

Displaying data on a dashboard

Why learning in public actually matters

From what I’ve seen, this isn’t just about writing blog posts.

It’s about:

showing consistency

proving you can communicate

being part of the developer community

That matters more than I initially thought, especially for someone starting out.

If you’re also starting out

If you’re in the same position as me, I’d say this:

Don’t wait until you feel ready to share your progress. You probably won’t feel ready for a while.

Just start.

Check out scrimba here: https://scrimba.com?via=community

DEV Community: matthew strange

Learning JavaScript in Public (and why I finally started)