Technical Founders: Is 37 too old for a non-technical person to start learning to code? Where do I start?

[eternallykeptbyjesus]

Paul Graham recently posted on X (fka Twitter) that " People who don't want to learn how to program can always find a reason why not to. This time it's AI, last time it was that tech was over because the Internet Bubble burst, the time before that it was that all the programming jobs were going to be outsourced to India. "

Hate to admit it, but he's right. My foray into many other fields (marketing, finance, design, etc.) was in part a reluctance to dive into programming -- always telling myself that it wasn't for me, or that something else was more important; but that's led to some serious gaps between me and the company I'm trying to build. I hate that feeling of helplessness. I'm not trying to be a technical wizard, but I'd like to undertstand the stack, review basic code, and build simple MVPs when those resources are not immediately available.

As a non-technical founder with lots of non-technical skills, it often feels like none of that matters unless I have the skills to code as well.

So where do I begin? Where did you find the passion to dive into coding/programming, and what keeps you going? How proficient can a person realistically get in one year?

EDIT: Thank you everyone for the thoughtful responses! Some key takeaways that I found helpful.

• Don't try to do everything. Identify a specific problem/application, and select a coding language accordingly.
• Set realistic expectations. One can get proficient in 1-4 years, but subject to many variables.
• There is a wealth of great free resources. This thread highlights many worth starting from.
• There is a difference between getting good vs good enough. Be clear about which one to aim for.
• Age alone is not a barrier. Many people this age and older have successfully learned to be technical; however, past behaviors may suggest a likelihood of long term success.
• Special shoutout to those with words of encouragement!! It really helps combat the constant negativity founders are perpetually mired in.
• Journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Thank you all again. Really appreciate it!

 

[nickolasss]

@eternallykeptbyjesus Nobody is ever too old, the question is if you have the personality for it.

There are TONS of free tutorials and courses on how to start coding.

My suggestion:

1. Find a real problem to solve so you are not learning only to learn, you're learning with an objective to solve a real problem
2. The best first problem to solve is one of YOUR problems. You being your first customer is typically a great way to start and that's how I started ALL my SaaS.
3. Pick the tech... I'm still doing Web Apps using PHP + MySQL as I find that the easiest to learn and you can setup a server for free for 1 year in AWS too or even host locally at home using XAMP.
4. Rather than a course coding is more learning as you find obstacles and you will find A LOT of obstacles all the way. This is why having the personality matters, for some people it might be so frustrating that it's not for them.

 

[nocalove]

@nickolasss Second this. It’s hard to learn without a problem to solve.

 

[findmydream]

@nocalove I’ll add that you can start with a copy cat app that solves a similar problem, this way you have really good guidance. This can start as “copy an existing demo project one line at a time” then eventually might be “start with a copied project”. It’s hard to beat guidance as straightforward as “copy each line” but even still there will be hurdles.

Then take that copied project and pivot it to solve your specific problem. It’s crazy the amount of learning you can have just by changing one simple facet.

 

[lyrikal]

@nocalove So true.

 

[liesnr1]

@nickolasss If you get stuck on item 3, pick Python or JavaScript. My recommendation is Python, it will allow you to do scripting, data science, backend, and front end work (there’s lots of good python web dev stuff available now). JavaScript is definitely better for front end and back end (general web dev), but if you’re super unclear on what path to take, I’d argue objectively python will give you more options to deliver stuff.

 

[nickolasss]

@liesnr1 Cool, I never built any APIs or backends with Python, only use it to run scripts.

Can it be set up in IIS ? I use Windows Servers only as they're a lot easier to manage for me as I don't have enough experience with Linux at that level.

 

[liesnr1]

@nickolasss I’ve never personally done it, but I’m sure you can! Look into Flask, Bottle, or FastAPI

 

[anangiel]

@liesnr1 You can run python on any OS. Uvicorn/FastAPI will run on Windows albeit without IIS. It's all self contained.

 

[anangiel]

@nickolasss I'll add a couple suggestions:
1) Pick something that interests you to make a solution for. Interested in cooking? Make a recipe web app. Use Discord or Telegram a lot? Make a cool bot.

2) Don't get caught up with figuring out the best technology to use or adding as many features as possible. Start with a basic concept and move from there. Don't get stuck in decision paralysis. Just start working on getting an MVP(minimum viable product). It's okay to use SQLite3 or heck even a JSON file to store data at first. I started with a Redis instance for one of my first apps and moved to SQLite3 later on.

 

[calpastor]

@nickolasss why would you use PHP in 2024 lmao

 

[nickolasss]

@calpastor About 70%-80% of all websites and web apps are build with PHP FB included

 

[grace_chaser]

@nickolasss levels.io is that you

 

[nickolasss]

@grace_chaser No

 

[calpastor]

@nickolasss This is always what PHP people say lol. It is the same misguided thinking that Wordpress users have. In the PAST is when 70% to 80% of websites were built...how many NEW websites are being built on PHP? Facebook is a notable example of a tech company that discontinued using PHP.

So much of tech is saturated with people that suggest obsolete, antiquated or overly complicated tools just because that's what they learned in the past. It is bad advice to tell somebody to learn PHP especially if they are building new products.

OP should learn React + Node.js combined with either PostGres or FireBase and call it a day lol.

 

[nickolasss]

@calpastor I'm not "PHP people", just practical because I've been doing PHP for ages and don't have enough knowledge of the other techs to say what works best or if they're a better choice or not.

I know lot of people going for Node and React but also lots going for Laravel, Python and other techs and each say it's the best so you see the issue here.

I don't really care if I use PHP or QBASIC (lol) as long as I get the job done the quickest most effective way that is sustainable and scalable. I don't mix emotions with business.

It has to run on local machines too.

Now with AI I think it would be a lot easier for me to switch from PHP to anything else but it would still take considerable time to learn and figure it out.

For me it's more that thing.. it's a "good to have" but not a "must have".

I'm a marketer, I prioritize ARR over what tech to use.

 

[calpastor]

@nickolasss Exactly my point - you are a long-term user of PHP. Telling someone to learn PHP is just very misguided in 2024.

I am not trying to throw shade I just have seen a lot of "I've been using this for ages" types be the ones that tank companies or convince teams to do something stupid from a business standpoint. OP building in PHP would be exactly that...based on your advice.

Python is great though I do agree with you there. No beef but PHP is not even in the top 5 of good options to learn in 2024.

 

[nickolasss]

@calpastor Is there a guide on how to set up React + Node.js + PostGres/FireBase on a local Windows machine?

Basically I want something that has 0 dependence on any 3rd parties or 3rd party services and can run on Windows.

 

[calpastor]

@nickolasss Ask ChatGPT

 

[nickolasss]

@calpastor Very Ironic that on PostGresql website download section they have only 1 ready to run stack which is LAPP / MAPP / WAPP and guess what .. it's with PHP.

https://www.postgresql.org/download/

Why are they still offering it only with PHP and not Node or something else if it would be easier to use something else?