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Ask HN: How many non-technical people want to learn how to code?

5 points by sherm8n ↗ HN
I've had a bunch of people reach out to me on my blog about learning to code. Some come from different backgrounds like law enforcement or accounting. Others are non-technical founders.

So I'm curious how many people here want to learn how to code and why? What motivates (or demotivates) you?

12 comments

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kmack
I'm currently finishing my last year in university and will be graduating next month with an economics major. It was only recently after thinking up a project that I thought would be awesome to build, did I even begin to get interested in coding but I can safely say I've found something that I truly enjoy and want to invest my time into learning.

My major sources of motivation are the hopes of making myself more marketable in terms of getting a job after university and the motivation of having a project that I want to see built

sherm8n
For making yourself more marketable are you talking in terms of getting a job as a developer? It may take up to a year of learning how to code before you can answer useless programming interview questions. If you start as a freelance developer you only need to convince the client that you're able to deliver the project. They won't ask you any programming questions.

What's preventing you from learning how to code right now and building your project?

kmack
I suppose there's nothing really stopping me other than thinking the project might just be too big to even attempt right now.

I've been working through a few books as well as the standard online exercises and am now looking at a program like dev bootcamp or app academy to really accelerate the leraning process

sherm8n
I have friends that have gone through some of the programs. Feel free to contact me if you want to get into the details - http://blog.goodsense.io/contact/
kmack
great thanks, messaged
sherm8n
The problem with books and online exercises is that when you get stuck you want to give up. It's hard to motivate yourself to push through. Unless you have awesome friends who have the patience to help, who will be your mentor?

The programs you mentioned are great. But it's still just like going to school.

kmack
Wouldn't that be a good place to start learning then? Without a community of people now to push me and work through problems with me, wouldn't a school of sorts be the perfect place to get those things?
wallflower
I do code. However, I will draw a parallel with Salsa dancing.

For anyone who has ever watched "Dancing With The Stars", actually dancing on a floor in a club, leading a woman is an incomparable experience. Especially if the woman likes your lead.

There in lies the rub.

If you're not a good dancer, the woman will not have a good experience. Talk about real-time feedback.

When you first start Salsa dancing, you suck. The only way to get better is to either a) go to a lot of lessons (ranging from the free lesson at a club to group lessons to $$ private lessons) b) practice at home c) go dancing.

And there will always be people who are better dancers than you because a) naturally talented b) dancing since they learned to walk c) extremely hard and dedicated d) athletes (good muscle memory). But the point here is - even if you're not the best dancer, just earning the right to be on the dance floor (always make the woman look good, always protect the woman (other woman can step on feet with their high heels), dance to the music) makes you part of a community.

Dancing is basically skills + confidence. And confidence goes a long long long way.

To anyone who wants to code, go for it! Don't let yourself stop you.

Start taking lessons (CodeAcademy, books), practice at home (e.g. build your own stuff), get on the floor (a.k.a. build stuff with other people, dive into hackathons). Eventually you will get the skills and confidence you need.

You might not be compensated at market rates for it (at first) but if you keep and going, you will eventually be paid for the value you produce.

sherm8n
When you first start you'll get compensated market rates for the value you provide. You're a junior programmer so the quality of code is lower and you will take more time to deliver.

In the long run however, you won't be paid for the business value you provide. Many experienced developers who work on projects that increase sales by 10% get paid dirt compared to the amount of money the business makes from it.

dez
I'll be starting a business/startup soon, I'd like to know coding to deal with any website/app design needed.