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Learning to Code: Better Late Than Never

•3 min read
webdev

The thumping bass reverberates through the warehouse walls, rattling nearby car windows and vibrating the ground beneath my feet. As people stream in and out of the roll-up door, the faint glow of strobing lights beckons from within. It's clear the party's in full swing – and I'm years late.

Tired of admiring the tech community from afar, I've finally committed to taking the leap. I'm dedicating myself to learning to code, an essential stepping stone to building robust applications. My background in Excel, Google Sheets, PowerQuery, PowerBI, and SQL Server has served me well, but I've reached the limits of those tools. Past efforts to learn coding felt daunting, but with GenAI tutors and modern coding tools, I'm ready to roll up my sleeves.

Why Bother?

My motivation is twofold: personal growth and sheer enjoyment. I love building things that solve problems, and coding offers the perfect blend of creativity and technical challenge. I'm excited to:

  • Expand my skill set beyond spreadsheets, dashboards, and SQL
  • Create interactive tools that make people's lives easier
  • Contribute to innovative open-source projects

Why Now?

Some might say it's the worst time to learn to code, with tech layoffs and AI's rising presence. But I see it differently:

  • The industry's evolution fuels my curiosity
  • AI's potential inspires me to explore augmented intelligence
  • Layoffs indicate a shift, not a demise; new opportunities emerge

I'm not naive; I recognize the challenges. However, I believe coding skills will remain valuable, and the journey itself is worthwhile.

What's Next?

To begin, I'll build small standalone projects:

  • Todo lists
  • Counters
  • Simple calculators
  • Small games (Minesweeper, anyone?)

As I progress, I'll move on to small standalone applications. Eventually, I would love to build a full-scale application integrating AI and machine learning.

I'm not expecting to become an expert overnight, but I look forward to a rewarding journey that keeps me challenged and engaged.

Wish me luck!