

Stop learning code, start making things - hellomrperez
https://medium.com/@hellomrperez/stop-learning-code-start-making-things-5712fd97aebb

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jordanpg
Some baseline level of knowledge is always needed. It may or may not be the
case that you have enough knowledge needed, as a beginner, for any given
project.

For a simple website, it may be possible to just poke around in a tutorial and
glean everything you need. For a complex web service or server process, maybe
not.

Why advocate for this "learn no more than is necessary" position? People learn
in different ways; none of them are right. And you wouldn't say that about
calculus, would you?

The enthusiasm for minimizing formal, up-front learning coming out of the
Peter Thiel school of thought strikes me as very short-sighted and suitable
only for relatively simple projects. It is a reflection of SVs obsession with
short-term profits.

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hellomrperez
First off, I appreciate your response. Your points are very valid.

I don't think one should ever stop learning. I do believe however that one
should take on projects as soon as they can. Adding that hands on experience
is what puts the learning in context.

My point in this article is to get people to take their heads out of the
courses, and actually take on projects. Yes, at first you may only do simple
projects. However, as you keep learning and keep taking on more projects, the
complexity will gradually increase.

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mga226
This cuts both ways.

> Looking back, I can’t believe I jumped in knowing so little.

I also have this feeling about my first few client projects, and it was to my
detriment. The fact that I was technically able to deliver something to spec
convinced me that I knew what I was doing. There have been times when I've
wished someone had told me back then: _stop just making things, and learn how
to code._

~~~
hellomrperez
That's an interesting perspective. I appreciate your response, however, that
was not the case for me. Even the mistakes served as learning experiences.

When I learned code,I was told to do things in a certain way, sometimes not
fully understanding why. By putting it into the real world context of actual
projects, it solidified those concepts.

