I'm 35, married, and have spent 11 years as a central government employee doing work that — I'll be honest — a well-trained 5-year-old could manage. I'm not bitter about this. It's just the reality of the role, and it's exactly why I'm writing this post.
My situation outside of work: a genuinely supportive wife, and about 2-3 hours a day I can carve out for learning and building something meaningful.
What I've already done — and why it surprised even me
Here's the part that feels almost fraudulent to admit: I have already built and deployed real software. Using AI assistance, I built several PWAs and one hybrid mobile app. They're not toy projects — they're actively being used by my wife and her clinic staff in their day-to-day business operations, right now, live.
I did this with zero programming knowledge. I couldn't write a single line of code from memory. I think the term is "vibe coding," and I'm probably the most unqualified vibe coder alive. But the apps work. Real people use them. Real problems are being solved.
This experience cracked something open for me. If I could do "that" without knowing anything, what could I do if I actually understood what I was building?
What I've tried and where I've failed
I've started — and abandoned — courses on Udemy covering CCNA, Web Development, SQL, AWS, Python, and Harvard's CS50x. Every single one. I lose momentum after a point, and I've spent enough time being honest with myself to know why: when the foundational concept underneath something isn't clear to me, I don't just slow down — I stop completely. But when a concept does click at the fundamental level, I retain it confidently and permanently. The problem has never been ability. It's been finding the right entry point and the right sequence.
I've also tried building my own learning roadmaps. They collapse quickly. There's too much to learn, no clear starting point, and the whole thing becomes overwhelming faster than I can keep up with.
I am not the sharpest person in the room. I know this. What I do have is time, intent, and proof — in the form of live software — that I can actually ship things when guided correctly.
My questions for this community
I'm giving myself 5 years. I'm not looking for shortcuts. Here's what I genuinely don't know and would value real answers on:
- Can someone help me build a step-by-step curriculum tailored to my situation? I've looked for structured learning paths, and while there are plenty of roadmaps available, they're either too broad, too generic, or assume a different starting point than mine. I'm not asking for a list of topics to google. I'm asking if someone here — based on their own experience or expertise — can help me put together an actual sequence: what to learn first, then second, then third, with clear reasons for the order. Something that filters out the noise and tells me exactly what I need, nothing more, nothing less. I only have 2-3 hours a day and 5 years. Every week spent going in the wrong direction costs me real time.
- Is this field worth pursuing given where AI is heading — and is there a smarter path through it? The Anthropic CEO has stated that within a year, AI will be capable of doing what a software engineer does. I take this seriously, and honestly, it makes me uncertain. I'm not a developer. I don't come from this world. But I've been thinking about this differently: what if the more important skill going forward isn't writing code, but knowing how to direct AI to build things — understanding enough about software to catch mistakes, make good decisions, and deliver real products? I don't know if that thinking is correct or naive. I'm genuinely asking. Is there a version of this path where someone like me — coming in without a traditional engineering background, but willing to deeply understand the tools and systems — can build a sustainable, valuable career and business? And if yes, what does that path actually look like, step by step?
- Can someone at my starting point realistically reach expert-level capability in 5 years? Not "good enough to tinker" — genuinely capable. Someone who builds production-quality products, understands the systems they're building, and can make real technical decisions. Is that achievable from where I'm standing, in the time I have?
- Will the knowledge still be relevant 5 years from now? The field moves fast. If I spend five years learning, will what I've learned be outdated the moment I feel competent? Or are there fundamentals that stay relevant regardless of how much the tooling changes around them?
- Is thinking about financial independence now — before I have the skills — unreasonable? I want to be upfront about the full goal: financial independence. I want to eventually earn from what I build — through freelance work, software products, or both — to a point where I am no longer dependent on my government salary. I know some people think it's premature to think about money before you have skills. I want to hear honestly whether that's true, or whether building with earning in mind from the beginning is actually the smarter approach. The bottom line Everything above is context. The real ask is this: I want someone to help me — or point me toward someone who can help me — with a clear, honest, step-by-step guide covering what to study, in what order, from which resources, and how to start earning along the way. Not a general direction. An actual plan for someone in my exact situation, so that 5 years from now I have the knowledge, the portfolio, and the income to call myself financially independent through software. If you've done something like this, or coached someone through it, or just have a strong opinion on what the right path looks like — I want to hear from you. Specific is better than encouraging. Honest is better than kind. I know this is long. Thank you if you stayed.
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