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John Liter
John Liter

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Why Every New Developer Should Start a Blog (And How to Do It for Free)

Photo by Suzy Hazelwood

✍️ "I’m just starting out—why would anyone care what I write?"

Here’s the secret: Your journey is your superpower.

When you document your coding struggles, breakthroughs, and lessons, you:

Solidify your own learning

Build a public portfolio

Join a global community

Open doors to opportunities

And the best part? You can start today—for free.


🚀 5 Reasons You Need a Developer Blog

1. Learn Faster by Teaching

  • Explaining concepts forces you to understand them deeply

  • “The Feynman Technique” (Teaching = Best way to learn)

2. Stand Out in Job Hunts

  • Recruiters Google applicants—a blog shows passion

  • Example: A developer got hired because of his “How I Fixed This Weird Bug” post

3. Track Your Progress

  • Your early posts become motivational time capsules

  • Compare: “What is a React component?”“Optimizing React Performance”

4. Join the Dev Community

  • Blogs lead to:

    • Twitter/LinkedIn connections
    • Open-source contributions
    • Speaking invites

5. It’s Easier Than You Think

  • You don’t need to be an expert—just one step ahead of someone else

💻 Where to Blog for Free

1. Dev.to (Best for Engagement)

  • Pros: Built-in audience, Markdown support

  • Example Post Idea: “How I Built My First API as a Beginner”

  • 🔗 https://dev.to

2. Hashnode (Own Your Content)

  • Pros: Free custom domain, SEO-friendly

  • Example Post Idea: “5 VS Code Extensions That Saved My Life”

  • 🔗 https://hashnode.com

3. Medium (Large Audience)

  • Pros: High traffic potential

  • Tip: Use the free tier (No paywall)

  • 🔗 https://medium.com

4. GitHub Pages (Techie Cred)

  • Pros: Hosts directly from your GitHub repo

  • Example: “My Journey Learning Python” as a GitHub Pages site

  • 🔗 https://pages.github.com


📝 What to Write About?

Beginner-Friendly Post Ideas:

  1. “How I Fixed [Common Error]” (e.g., CORS issues)

  2. “What I Wish I Knew Before Learning [Language]”

  3. “Building [Small Project] Step-by-Step”

  4. “Notes to My Past Self” (Reflections on your journey)

💡 Pro Tip: Write the post you needed 3 months ago.


✨ How to Start Today (In 15 Minutes)

  1. Pick a platform (Dev.to is easiest)

  2. Write your first post (Even 300 words)

  3. Title it: “Why I’m Starting a Dev Blog”

  4. Share it here 👇 (We’ll cheer you on!)


🔥 Your Blog = Your Legacy

  • Today: “Hello World” post

  • In 1 year: Technical deep dives

  • In 5 years: Industry authority

The best time to start was yesterday. The second-best time is now.

💬 Will you start your dev blog this week? Comment “I’m in!” below!

“Document your journey. Someone out there needs your story.” 🚀

Top comments (8)

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deividas_strole profile image
Deividas Strole

Blogging is a powerful tool for new developers—it helps reinforce learning, improves communication, and builds a public portfolio that sets you apart. It connects you with the tech community, encourages reflection, and lets you give back by sharing your journey. You don’t need to be an expert—writing as a learner can be just as valuable.

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jliter profile image
John Liter

Agreed!!!!

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stevsharp profile image
Spyros Ponaris

Thanks for sharing! I totally agree , writing and sharing your thoughts generally helps you grow and improve yourself

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jliter profile image
John Liter

Thank You!

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stevsharp profile image
Spyros Ponaris

You are welcome.

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canro91 profile image
Cesar Aguirre

I started blogging back in 2018, just because I was googling "how to get better at coding" and I found "start a blog." I didn't know I was about writing so much. And by the way, keeping a blog has done for my career than a portfolio.

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daleymottley profile image
Daley Mottley

Thanks for posting, @jliter 🙂

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mambo404 profile image
Mambo

Hello, world!
Starting a development blog is a very effective way to grow