Tools: How I would learn programming in 2026 if I had to start from zero

Step 1: I would stop trying to learn everything ## Step 2: I would focus on fundamentals first ## Step 3: I would build small projects early ## Step 4: I would use AI — but carefully ## Step 5: I would accept confusion as part of the journey ## Step 6: I would measure progress differently ## Step 7: I would stay consistent, not intense ## The biggest mindset shift ## Next article If I had to start over today — in 2026 — with no experience in software development, I wouldn’t do it the same way I did years ago. Not because the fundamentals have changed. But because the environment has. There’s more content, more tools, more AI, more noise, and more pressure to learn fast. And paradoxically, that makes it easier to get lost. So this is the exact approach I would follow if I were beginning again from scratch, knowing what I know now. No hype. No shortcuts. Just what actually works. One of the biggest mistakes beginners make is trying to learn too much at once: It feels productive. But it creates confusion and shallow understanding. If I were starting today, I would pick: And stay there long enough to build real depth. Not forever. But long enough to understand how programming actually works. This is the part most people try to skip. Frameworks are exciting. Libraries are powerful. But fundamentals are what give you independence. Not because it’s glamorous. But because this is what allows you to learn anything else later without starting over every time. Tutorials are helpful in the beginning, but they create a false sense of progress. You feel like you’re learning because everything works while you follow along. The real learning starts when you try to build something on your own and get stuck. So I would start creating small projects as early as possible: Nothing impressive. Just real. Because projects force you to: And thinking is the real skill you’re building. This is the biggest difference between learning years ago and learning today. If I were starting in 2026, AI would be part of my daily learning process. But not as a shortcut. I wouldn’t use it to generate entire solutions and move on. I’d use it to understand. AI can act like a patient mentor that never gets tired of your questions. But it only helps if you stay mentally involved in the process. If you just copy and paste solutions, you’re training dependency — not skill. This is the part nobody tells you clearly enough. You will feel lost sometimes. You will feel slow. You will forget things. You will compare yourself to others. The early phase of learning programming is not about clarity. It’s about building tolerance for not knowing yet. Every developer goes through this stage. The difference is that the ones who grow are the ones who keep going even when progress feels invisible. That’s real progress. And it compounds over time. You don’t need 8 hours a day to become a developer. What you need is consistency. Even 1–2 focused hours a day, done regularly, builds more skill than occasional bursts of motivation followed by long breaks. Programming is less about talent and more about repetition with awareness. If I could summarize everything in one idea, it would be this: Learning programming is not about memorizing syntax. It’s about becoming someone who knows how to figure things out. Languages change. Tools change. AI evolves. But the ability to think, break problems down, and keep learning stays valuable forever. One of the most common doubts I’ve seen from people starting this journey is: “Do I need to be good at math to become a developer?” In the next post, I’ll talk honestly about that — because this question stops a lot of people before they even begin. Templates let you quickly answer FAQs or store snippets for re-use. Are you sure you want to hide this comment? It will become hidden in your post, but will still be visible via the comment's permalink. Hide child comments as well For further actions, you may consider blocking this person and/or reporting abuse - Multiple languages - Multiple frameworks - Frontend + backend + cloud + AI - Several courses at the same time - One language - One clear path - One main resource - Logic and problem-solving - Variables, conditions, loops - Basic data structures - Reading and understanding code - A simple calculator - A to-do list - A basic API - A small automation script - Make decisions - Face errors - Search for answers - Asking why something works a certain way - Requesting simpler explanations - Debugging errors step by step - Breaking problems into smaller parts - “How many courses have I finished?” - “How many languages do I know?” - Can I solve small problems alone? - Can I read code and understand what’s happening? - Can I debug simple errors without panic?