A beginner asked me something last week that I haven't stopped thinking about.
"Should I learn JavaScript properly first, or just start building with AI?"
I didn't have a clean answer.
Because both sides make sense.
The case for fundamentals first
If you don't understand what the code does, you can't tell when AI gets it wrong.
And AI gets things wrong in quiet ways. The code runs. The tests pass. But the logic is off, or there's a security hole, or it breaks the moment real users show up.
Someone has to notice that.
Fundamentals are what let you notice.
The case for AI tools first
On the other hand, motivation matters.
A lot of beginners quit during the "build a to-do list for the fifth time" phase. They never get to the part where coding feels exciting.
With AI, a beginner can build something real in a weekend. Something they actually care about.
And that excitement might be what keeps them learning long enough to get to the fundamentals.
Where I've landed (for now)
I'm a product manager who builds with AI every day. I'm not a classically trained developer.
Here's my honest experience:
AI made me fast.
Understanding the basics made me useful.
The times I got stuck weren't when I couldn't write code. They were when I couldn't read it. When something broke and I didn't know where to look.
So maybe the question isn't "fundamentals or AI."
Maybe it's: build with AI, but never accept code you can't explain.
Ask the AI why. Break things on purpose. Rewrite small parts by hand.
Use AI as a teacher, not just a shortcut.
But I want to hear from you
This is one of those questions where experience really changes the answer.
- If you're a beginner: Are you learning with AI or without it? How's it going?
- If you're experienced: If you were starting from zero in 2026, what would you do first?
- If you hire developers: Does it matter to you how someone learned?
I don't think there's one right answer.
But I'm pretty sure the comments will be better than the post 😄
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