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I never learned to code. I am not a tech guy. While on active duty, if my team saw me on the computer doing anything besides writing a report or working on a slideshow, they would tell me to quickly stop what I was doing because most likely I was about to break something.
But I’ve made the goal to learn some basic programming in the next 12 months. I am not planning to take down Google or Samsung with my coding skills, but I want to at least have a basic understanding of the biggest languages and when they are used.
Even if you have no interest in being a software engineer, knowing some basics of coding can be hugely beneficial.
Learning to code helps you think more clearly and logically
I recently listened to a Tim Ferriss podcast. In it he said that one of the three things he would teach a kid would be coding.
His point was not that computers now rule the world and thus we should know how to speak their language. Nor was it that if you know how to code you can start your own tech company and retire in your 20s.
No, his point was that when you learn to code, you learn a language that helps you solve problems.
Coding is based on providing precise instructions to a machine that is designed to do what it is told. This means that to be a good coder, you have to know how to think clearly. You have to be specific in your language. Building these skills can help improve your thought clarity in all other aspects of your life. Precision in thought and language can add immediate value to you and coding is a good way to build that ability.
Learning to code can turn ideas into reality
I have a ton of ideas for products and services that I can simply not turn into reality because I do not have the skills to do so. It holds me back in my entrepreneurial potential. I have to find someone else. This website stays basic simply because I do not have the ability to make it any more complicated. My lack of programming ability is holding me back.
I hope I’m not surprising you in saying that tech is, um, a big thing.
There is serious potential in developing tech products and services. Looking at myself, if I had more knowledge of coding, I would feel more confident to build the products and services I envision. Most likely I would still need to bring in experienced coders to build a final product, but with baseline knowledge I could build a beta version to use to bring in investment or entice professional programmers to come work with me.
Knowing the basics of coding can also give you the confidence and knowledge needed to speak to potential investors about an idea. Serious investors want to know the details and specifics of a project, and with a tech idea that means that they to want to know specifics on the coding language and process. Even if they are not a tech person, they will likely bring in a consultant to dig into the product. You can be sure that person will know details.
The point here is not necessarily to be an expert on the development process, but to be able to communicate the basics of a product and manage a team of coders until you have a senior engineer on your team. Having a basic knowledge can let you start the conversation that you could not have without that knowledge.
You can literally fix your own problems
What if you wanted to automate something, but didn’t know how or didn’t feel like paying for a service to do this?
With some basic coding knowledge, you can have the ability to build your own digital solutions. You might be surprised at the type of solutions you can create with only knowing a little bit of coding.
Learning to code as a veteran
Contrary to what you might think, veterans can make great coders. Veterans are task-oriented, can slog through the “boring” work that has to be done, and are excellent at understanding how their piece of project fits into a large picture- important when you have teams of coders working on the same project.
Code Platoon offers a number of ways to train veterans on full-stack development. What is full-stack you ask? Don’t worry- I just had to look it up myself.
There are front-end developers who provide the user experience associated with a website, app, or piece of software. Then there’s back-end developers who make all the functions work in the background and ensure that the whole thing runs smoothly. Or you can be a full-stack developer and be able to do both as a generalist.
Code Platoon’s flagship offering is a 14-week in-person course in Chicago. Code Platoon programs can also be covered by the GI bill, making this program very enticing for veterans. If you have no experience in coding, you can start with their Intro to Coding course which is totally free.
edX is an open course platform run by MIT and Harvard to help the world learn more. They offer everything from business classes to literature classes to computer science courses. This is a really easy way to pick up some extra skills or knowledge.
The courses are totally free, with the option to pay for a verified certificate. I wouldn’t hold too much stock on the certificates, as edX wants you to get one so they make money. But for technical skills like coding, adding a certificate to your resume or Linkedin profile could start a conversation on your skills and interests.
Also free, just pay a fee if you want a certificate. Coursera is strictly for-profit and not associated with any big-name institutions, but they have a well-trusted name in the online education business and are routinely listed as a place to go for online learning.
Although you have to pay, this is a top-notch way to learn your basic coding skills. Unlike Coursera or edX, codeacademy is *surprise* strictly focused on coding. Their brand is well-trusted within the programming world and their credentials are recognized as serious and legitimate.
If you are really serious and want to major in computer science, Google partnered with the Student Veterans of America to offer 8x $10k scholarships annually for veterans to educate themselves in the field of computer science. This can be a solid bonus on top of your GI Bill and Yellow Ribbon scholarship to make a dent in your education costs.
We all probably have a list of “things we want to learn”. Yours may include wood-working or learning to tango or singing opera. But few skills have the ability to reach across so many sectors of life as coding does. Having coding skills can help you add value in the workplace and simplify things in your personal life. The resources listed above can give you a good start in adding some basic coding skills to your toolset.
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