To answer this question we need to go all the way to the beginning.
It was June 14th, 19…
Okay, not that far back. But, we do have to go back to my childhood.
Ever since I can remember I have been fascinated with building and learning how things work. I think that is a big reason why I got into medicine.
I am a huge fan of utilizing technology to solve my problems. I have always tinkered with automation and even use Linux, because why live an easy life where everything works properly?
Somewhat related story break…
In college, I was working in the physiology lab over the summer and I started talking with our IT guy and told him I was interested in trying Linux but at the time I did not have an extra computer to play around with. Two days later he shows up with a computer he built from random parts he had lying around and just gave it to me. To this day I am grateful to him. He is the reason I started my Linux journey and have never looked back. I ended up using that computer through pharmacy school. It always had Linux installed on it and It was my primary computer most of that time.
Back to why I learned to code.
I truly love to build something with my own two hands. There is a sense of accomplishment that is simply not matched by anything else.
I love the learning process. I like getting stuck and trying to figure out a solution. I am the definition of “a jack of all trades is a master of none.” Did you know that the whole quote is: “a jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.” So let’s stop using this against people for being curious and learning new skills!
I am cheap. As I wax poetic about the joys of learning etc. Money also plays a factor. I wanted to see how far I could get without hiring out the work. The answer is far but nowhere close to where a seasoned developer could get to in the same amount of time.
I wanted to better understand the process. We have all been in meetings and told to get something done because from the outside looking in it looks easy. I know that being a developer is hard, but unless you have stared at a computer screen for hours trying to debug your code only to find out that two letters are switched you will truly not understand the struggle.
Should you learn how to code?
That is a question that I have been literally asked three times. But in all seriousness, I see this question asked a lot.
My answer to the question is YES if you:
Have the time. Learning to code is not difficult but it does take a lot of time and dedication. You cannot just create a flawless app overnight. You have to value your time. How much is your time worth? Can you pay someone to do it faster and better?
Want to do it as a hobby. It is something you have always wanted to do and there is a project you would like to tackle.
Outside of those reasons, I would not recommend it because you will just get frustrated and give up. That time could have been better utilized learning another skill or just spending time with your family.
Before you send me hate mail I will tell you what you can do instead. It is the shining light that can help you achieve your dreams in a fraction of the time! Did you think I was going to leave you stranded like that? I am no dream killer.
Let me introduce you to the world of no-code.
It is literally what it sounds like. These platforms are drag-and-drop solutions that you can get your application or website made without writing a single line of code!
Here are two very popular no-code options you can look at for creating an app or in the case of bubble even a website.
Both of these you can try out for free. So you have nothing to lose! They both have very active communities that you can leverage if you run into any issues. Also, there are tons of YouTube tutorials out there for each platform to get you started.
If after all of that you still want to learn to code here are some free resources that I used that might help you start
YouTube - Just type in your question. You’d be surprised as to what you find
I am going down the no-code route because it just makes sense for me. I am still learning python, but for me and my digital health journey, I am focusing on no-code options for now.
Thank you so much for your support! Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.
I hope you have a great day!
Inspirational read for anyone venturing into coding and technology. Great piece ,Zain!
Great read, thank you for the resources!