Coding Out Loud: Why I'm Choosing to "Learn in Public"

For years, I struggled with overthinking my career to the point that I got paralyzed and could not do anything at all. I was depressed and anxious and battling a number of life challenges. Everything wrong in my life felt like my fault and I keep on spiraling down. Fortunately, with the help of therapy, medications, and endless support, I got tired* of being stuck and decided to redirect myself.

I've been learning how to code for the past five months and let me tell you, it really is a whirlwind of emotions! After an amazing mentorship that ended too soon, I realized something: I thrive when I learn with others. That's when I found Virtual Coffee, a tech community that uplifts and celebrates wins of all kinds! Just one virtual coffee in, Chris Nowicki, a generous full stack developer in the community, already dropped a goldmine with us--learning and building in public!

It might sound intimidating, I know I felt that way! But even if you're an introvert like me, learning in public sounds so rewarding. Instead of thinking of the industry as a zero-sum game, it's all about helping other people as you mainly help yourself learn. Swyx, a coding guru talks about it in his essay wherein he defines it as "[sharing] what you learn as you learn it. You open source your knowledge. You build a public record of interests and progress, and along the way, you attract a community of mentors, peers, and supporters."

Now, sharing online can be daunting, but let's use those jitters to fuel this journey! I'm taking the plunge and learning in public and here's why...

I want to learn and create again. Perfectionism held me back for so long, but I'm ready to embrace the "finished not perfect" mentality. Imposter syndrome (feeling like you don't belong or deserve success) is a common enemy, but by learning in public, I can overcome self-doubt and build confidence. My main goal is to show up for myself everyday (#nozerodays) but hey, maybe someone will join me in this journey. Either way, its gonna be a win-win situation!

On another note, learning in public can accelerate your coding career, but how exactly?

• Accountability: Public commitments can motivate you to keep on track with your goals. It adds just the right amount of pressure!
• Enhanced Learning: As you share what you learn or build, you're consolidating the ideas you consumed in your long-term memory. You're basically teaching other people. During this process, the gaps in what you've learned show up, you double-check facts and assumptions, and you try to create content that makes sense, which sometimes includes prerequisite concepts.
• Personal Growth: Through this process, you get to have feedback more which forces you to grow and course correct earlier. Even if you're scared to make mistakes, just remember that it's normal and human! It will happen and it's gonna be memorable. So, if your response is to accept the feedback and be accountable for what you did, you're less likely to repeat the same mistake twice.
• Building a Network: The main purpose of learning in public is to help your past self. Be genuine and eventually, other people on the same path will come across your learning journey! When you keep on offering value upfront, you'll be the first in mind when those people need help.
• Opportunities: As your reputation grows, so does the number of opportunities coming your way. You can even gain mentors when you apply, try, or even create from other people's projects (what @swyx calls picking up what others put down). By helping you learn, they're also helping the ones in your network because you're learning in public.

Obviously, I haven't experienced these benefits yet. This is my first attempt to learn in public but I hope that at the very least I can provide some value to you. That's what Chris added as welleveryone has something to offer, even a newbie like me! Its such a motivating mindset to have. In fact, Im more excited to learn because Im also creating something out of it. Its like Im building a puzzle out of the ideas I'm putting in my brain!

So, if you're curious about coding but feeling a littleee bit hesitant, you're not alone! I'll be sharing my highs, lows, and in-betweens here and there. Who's in?

*Battling mental illnesses isnt just a matter of willpower, so if this resonated with you, please consider reaching out for support!

Photo by Emile Perron on Unsplash