A Jack of all Trades

When I first started learning to code, I was interested in everything. There are a lot of interesting projects, frameworks, and languages and I wanted to learn them all, I thought I could.

But after a while, I realized that I was spreading myself too thin. I was struggling to learn the basics of each language and I wasn't making any real progress in any one of them. This week I'm learning how to addEventListeners with JS next week I am getting hung up on pointers in C.

So I decided to focus on two key languages: JavaScript, and C. I wanted to learn enough to be able to build real-world applications, or just get so good at them that I feel comfortable working with them.

It wasn't easy, but it was worth it. It allowed me to narrow down what I needed to do and reduced the choice fatigue. Honestly, the absence of alternatives, clears the mind marvelously.

I'm now glad that I didn't try to learn everything at once. I am a long way from being a master but God knows I am chipping away at those 10, 000 hours. Truly, it's better to be a master of a few than a jack of all trades.

It should be noted:

• It's easier to focus and make progress when you're only learning a few things.
• Employers are looking for people who have deep expertise in a particular language or framework. Also, I'm not saying a generalist is a bad thing.
• Once you're good at one language, it's easier to pick up others.

If you're just starting out, I recommend focusing on a few key languages and technologies. Become good at those, and you'll be well on your way to a successful career as a developer.

All that said, don't be afraid to specialize.

I hope this newsletter has been helpful! If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me on Twitter at @mikenjuki or below in the comments.

I'm also always looking for new projects, so if you have any cool ideas, hit me up!

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