Is Self-Taught Coding Still Worth It?

So you’re broke, confused, 22, hate your job, and think learning to code will fix it all.

Hello friends it's me Md taqui imam and WELCOME to the most popular side quest of the 2020s.

You probably googled:

• "How to learn to code in 3 months"
• "Is self-taught coding dead?"
• "Can I get a dev job with no degree and bad WiFi?"

And now you’re here, trying to figure out if teaching yourself programming is still a thing or just another internet scam like dropshipping crypto monkey NFTs.

Let’s talk 😅

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✅ Yes. Self-taught coding still works.

If anyone tells you it doesn’t, they probably just failed at it and now run a bootcamp charging $10k to copy-paste ChatGPT responses into React components.

The truth is: companies still care more about what you can build than where you learned. A solid GitHub > random diploma from “Any Tech Institute.”

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But no, it’s not “easy now because of AI”

Yeah yeah, you’ve seen the TikToks:

“Learn Python in 10 minutes!”

“Make $120k with just HTML and ChatGPT!”

Sure, and I can become a surgeon by watching Grey’s Anatomy.

AI is a tool, not a cheat code. It helps you learn faster, but it won’t do the learning for you. You still need to suffer through broken layouts, error messages, and existential dread like the rest of us.

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What should you actually learn?

You don’t need a PhD in rocket science to start. Here’s a basic path:

• HTML/CSS: Make things look not horrible.
• JavaScript: Make things do stuff.
• React or Next.js: Make things do stuff better.
• GitHub: So you can tell employers “Look, I actually built something.”
• Optional: Python + Flask/Django: If you prefer backend and chill.

That’s it. Don’t get lost in “Should I learn Rust or Go or Zig or Assembly for fun?” You’re not building a compiler, you’re building your way out of retail.

A request to senior dev's who are reading this, Can you please comment 📩 down a proper Web development roadmap for the new beginners of 2025.

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Build real things. Not to-do apps.

Everyone makes a to-do app. Stop it. Build dumb but fun projects:

• “Rate My Chai” — users rank local tea stalls
• “Is It A Scam?” — submit WhatsApp messages for instant sussy score
• “BrokenCSS” — a portfolio of your worst designs (trust me, it’s relatable)

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Build stuff that you enjoy. Passion beats perfection.

Will you get a job?
Eventually, yes. But not on Day 30 of your Udemy course.

Be ready to:

• Apply to 100+ jobs
• Hear nothing
• Doubt everything
• Land one job

Suddenly feel like a genius again
This is normal. This is the grind. And yes, it’s still worth it.

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Final thoughts

Self-taught devs built half the internet. The other half was built by unpaid interns and stackoverflow.com.

You don’t need permission to start. Just curiosity, caffeine, and stubbornness. So stop overthinking, pick a tutorial, and start building broken crap until it’s less broken.

And remember: The only thing worse than bad code is never writing any.

Now go. Learn. Build. Break. Repeat.
The future still belongs to those who Google error messages best.

Seeee you in next blog 👋

Happy Learning & Coding

Comments

[Alex]

If you are in a situation where you need to select a programming language, you probably should avoid JavaScript. It's the default language for LLM due to an extensive training base. Don't get me wrong, LLM can't write code well (and probably won't be able to in the current generation of models), but neither can you.

Mobile development, embedded (microcontrollers), system programming, non-js/python back-end development (Golang, for example) - should give you a better chance.

New generations of engineers highly overlook the embedded niche; it's unreachable for LLM and will always be relevant. Writing C/C++ for FreeRTOS is challenging, but your agile young brain will handle it.
Good Luck!

[Akanle Tolulope]

Thanks, man. very inspirational.

[Random]

i'm glad to hear you liked it

[Herbert Quijano]

This just appeared to me in a moment where I am struggling after failing too many job interviews.

The feeling of failure, the feeling of a lack of self-worth.
I have a job interview in a couple of hours, I don't know if I'll fail, but this helped me.

Thank you, really.

[Christopher Wright]

Did you know the first computer bug was literally a moth stuck in a relay? So if your code has bugs, just remember, you're basically following in historic footsteps—minus the wings. 😅

[Nathan Tarbert]

Perfect, this is that honest pep talk I wish I got when I started out coding years back