Hey HN, I have a different spin on the old “how do I learn how to program” question:<p>How do I learn how to program, launch, maintain, and update a web application? Measure this in years.<p>My story:
I had an amazing idea for a business. I spent 6 months researching it and laying out exactly how it will work. The site isn't very technically-complicated, but it's not a blog either.<p>So I decided I could easily teach myself programming (with little prior experience) in ~6 months and then launch the serious, heavy-hitting product. If it were successful, I’d hire a technical guy to run the technical stuff while I manage everything else.<p>Am I correct in thinking that this was a bit shortsighted? I’m slowly starting to realize that there is a lot of technical (and non-technical) knowledge to be had: programming the site, system admin, business administration, etc. etc. More importantly, that it may be too much for me to learn all at once, seeing that I’m a computer-savvy (but not math or programming-savvy) twenties-something guy. I can’t really get a cofounder, because at the moment I don’t have any actionable skills (if anything, I’m a “hustler” / designer).<p>Revised plan:
Start small and work my way up to the big beastly idea. As in, slowly learn the ins-and-outs of entrepreneurship, programming, and the web by working on small, manageable projects.<p>At the moment, I’m working on a content-oriented site built on WordPress: I merely have to write articles and learn basic SEO and site administration. I'm also starting a small t-shirt sales company (not printing).<p>After this, I’d like to make some simple web apps. Rinse and repeat until I’m immersed enough in the web ecosystem to have a clue.<p>Thoughts? On both “what to learn and how” and my plan in general?