Realistically, going from zero experience to a fully fledged independent developer landing paid gigs in under three or four months is tough. While I've launched my own projects, I'm still a newbie, maybe even a bit of a n00b. I'm sharing my story to inspire others stuck in a similar rut and show them that anything is possible.
Independent development requires a solid all-around skillset. My background as a product manager gave me a head start with development workflows and basic technical understanding, which accelerated my growth.
Here's my advice:
Less Thinking, More Doing; Leverage Tools and AI; and Most Importantly, Believe in Yourself!
Overthinking paralyzes many aspiring developers. I almost gave up too, but I trusted myself, shifted my focus to execution and problem-solving, and stopped the negative self-talk. Avoid the trap of trying to learn everything and doing everything yourself. Freelancing requires time management and prioritization. Many development tools and resources can significantly speed up the learning process and save time and energy. Learn to use IDEs, version control systems like Git, and online communities like Stack Overflow for support and inspiration. I'll also share some tools I've used for your reference.
Here's my story:
A Product Manager Forced to Adapt
In the summer of 2024, I was laid off due to a downturn in my company's business. Initially, I wasn't worried. With years of experience, I figured landing a high-paying job would be a breeze. Reality hit hard. Three months passed, and my resume submissions went into a black hole.
Around that time, I learned from programmer friends that they were making a living, some even quite comfortably, by taking on freelance projects from home. The idea of generating a reliable income stream by writing just a few lines of code intrigued me. I decided to learn to code, take on projects, and become an independent developer.
A Rocky Start: Learning to Use Tools
Full of enthusiasm, I signed up for a few online PHP courses, dreaming of the projects I'd land and the money I'd make.
But my journey hit a snag right out of the gate. No one ever told me about setting up a development environment before writing code!
So, I scoured the internet for tutorials, trying to set things up myself. Even though I couldn't understand the code, I figured following the steps meticulously would prevent any errors. Famous last words. I ran into bugs, and I had no clue how to debug.
After wasting three or four days, I stumbled upon a post about ServBay, touted as beginner-friendly. Skeptical but desperate, I downloaded it. To my surprise, it was incredibly user-friendly. No wrestling with code or containers; just one click, and the environment was set up. Hallelujah!
ServBay even has built-in databases. A few clicks, and MySQL was installed automatically. Pure magic.
With my development environment ready, I finally embarked on my coding journey.
As a complete newbie, my code was, predictably, buggy. I was trapped in debugging hell (facepalm).
That's where AI tools came to the rescue. I opted for TabNine, which is beginner-friendly and helped me grasp programming skills faster. Its intelligent code completion based on context and VS Code integration made me fall in love with it.
I also recommend Laravel, a well-known PHP web development framework. It took some time to learn, but it simplified and accelerated my development process significantly.
Another valuable resource is GitHub. It's a goldmine of knowledge and inspiration from other developers. I visit it daily to learn new things.
After four or five months of stumbling and learning, I finally cobbled together my first project: a music database where users can log in and register. They can also browse multiple music lists by genre. It wasn't perfect, but the sense of accomplishment was immense. I started using this project in my job applications to showcase my skills and attract potential clients.
If You're Thinking of Switching to Coding
If you aspire to be a developer, stop overthinking and start coding! Choose a language and write code, line by line. Keep writing! Perseverance is key. The road ahead for independent developers is long, with more to learn about marketing, promotion, and other aspects of running a business. But take it one step at a time. Trust yourself, keep at it, and you too can have your own project soon.
Feel free to share your own development experiences; let's learn and grow together.
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