I'm starting today's newsletter a little differently:

I spent the past 7 months on LinkedIn posting daily and taking calls from aspiring software engineers.

The top question was: “How do I get into programming?”

Not many people asked about how to actually write code...

They just didn't know where to start.

This led me to create my first course The Coding Career Blueprint

By the end of the course, you will walk away with

• An action plan of exact steps to learn to code
• A plan for the specific path you want to take
• The resources you can use to learn
• Steps to use those resources

The ultimate goal is to take you

From: ”I have no idea how to start”

To: ”I know exactly what I need to do to”

If this sounds like something for you, I am offering an exclusive 60% off deal to my newsletter subscribers using the code bokbsj3

I will use the feedback from this course to make even better content for all of you in the future.

For now, feel free to check out the course here: https://imliamodonnell.gumroad.com/l/coding-career-blueprint

Now that that's out of the way, let's get into this week's newsletter 😋

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3 Mistakes That Prevent You From Learning To Code

We've all heard a million things about learning how to code.

Some advice is good, and other advice is crap.

Regardless of the advice, one thing is true:

Learning to code is hard.

Even though resources today make it easier than ever, pretending that it is easy in general is misleading to new programmers.

At this point in my career, I've talked to hundreds of people that want to learn how to write code. All of them at different points in their journey.

There are habits I've seen people form that make learning to code harder than it needs to be.

It's important to focus on the few things that actually matter.

It is easy to get caught up in bad habits that have you spinning your wheels until your run out of motivation and patience.

With that said, here are the 3 things I suggest new programmers avoid:

Following Tutorials Step by Step

This is the most common trap new programmers fall into. It's so common that the industry has nicknamed it tutorial hell.

Here's what tutorial hell looks like:

• Find a tutorial
• Go through all of it
• Copy the code line by line
• Create the same thing as the instructor
• End the day with another project copied to your "tutorials" folder

The reason people end up here is because it feels productive. The instructor makes perfect sense as you go along and you end up with code that works.

The problem is that when you approach tutorials like this you will forget fast.

When you follow tutorials you learn how to use a technology

You miss out on all the important understanding of why it is useful

When you don't know why you use something, you can't know when to use it.

My suggestion:

• Go through the tutorials
• Write down ideas you get along the way
• Implement those ideas (on your own) after you finish

The process of implementing your own ideas will force you to consider why you use the technology.

And when you come back:

You will quickly recall what you did.

Tutorials are a blessing but don't forget to use what you learn.

Moving Past Code You Don't Understand

A new programmer might:

• Copy code they don't understand from StackOverflow
• Not understand why their code works, but accept that it does
• Use a library with no concern for how accomplishes their goal

This all kills your growth as a programmer.

When you don't understand how something works...

When you feel like something is too confusing to bother with...

That is exactly when you need to pause and make sure you understand.

Don't rob yourself of these valuable learning opportunities.

It's tempting to say:

"It works. I don't need to worry about why"

But it will come back to haunt you in ways you can't imagine.

Understanding what you write, and why you write it is the compounding effect you are looking for.

The more you know, the more you can learn.

Underestimating How Hard It Actually Is

Experienced programmers love to lure in new people by claiming it is easy.

The truth is:

• Lebron James makes basketball look easy
• Olympian gymnasts make a backflip feel seem a breeze
• Experienced programmers make writing code feel simple

But it's not. There are years of compounded experience, encountered errors, and head-scratching moments that you can't see.

"Oh yeah! I've seen this error before..."

"Oh yeah, there's actually a library for this..."

"Oh yeah, two years back we did this because ..."

Within the time it took them to say "Oh Yeah" they are recalling 10 years of experience.

To you, it might be disheartening.

It can make you feel like you're not understanding something.

But the only difference between you and them is time in the game.

So maybe you spend a full evening doing something that you saw another person do in 30 minutes.

But how long did it take them when they did it their first time?

Here's the big danger of underestimating how hard it is

If you think it is easy you will think:

"I'm stupid, there is something wrong with me"

If you understand that it is hard you will think:

"I'm new to this, there is nothing wrong with"

One thought breeds self-destruction.

The other thought breeds self-growth.

Be patient with yourself.

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Thank you all for reading this week's newsletter.

I appreciate all of you who read to the end.

Email me at swdlodonnell@gmail.com with any questions

To anybody feeling lost on where to start. I'm extending an invitation to check out my first course ever The Coding Career Blueprint. The course is exclusively 60% off for my newsletter subscribers with the code: bokbsj3

Until next week!

I hope you all have a great weekend.