The world of technology and programming is moving extremely fast. So fast, in fact, that we start believing we can study for a single day and put a programming language or technology on our resume as something we "know."
I think I speak for everyone when I say that, when we first entered the world of programming, we wanted to learn as many languages as possible — to tell a friend, to recognize the syntax of another language, or simply to add it to our CV. But how many programming languages does it take to become "a programmer"? How much do you need to learn to "level up" and call yourself intermediate or senior? If you only know one language, are you a junior? This time, we're going to look at how true it really is that we need to learn the fundamentals of programming before jumping into any specific technology or language.
You don't need to know ten languages, you need to know how to drive
Watching a 13-hour crash course on Python or JavaScript to become an "expert overnight" doesn't teach you how to program. It's the equivalent of learning where the buttons, radio, and lights are in 10 different car models, without knowing how to shift into first gear, check your mirrors, or brake.
Programming isn't about memorizing which button to press in each language; programming is about knowing how to drive. Once you master logic, flow, and problem-solving — the fundamentals — you can hop into a Mazda, a Toyota, or a motorcycle (Python, C#, JavaScript) and ride off knowing exactly the rules of the road.
What building software actually means
Programming is, by definition, the process of giving a machine ordered instructions to carry out a specific task. If we want to build software, we have to start by understanding the problem.
Let's say we want to build software to teach someone how to drive (not just where the buttons in a car are). Our core problem is teaching someone to drive. Now we need to structure our solution. We could break it down like this, to start:
- Understand the student's profile and how they learn.
- Define where and how their progress will be stored.
- Design the logic for lessons and the evaluation system.
- Adapt the experience for someone dropping in for 5 minutes from their phone as much as for someone studying for hours on a computer.
- Generate a valid certification for whoever finishes the course.
Notice that at no point have we talked about a specific programming language. All of that analysis happens on paper and in your head, before you write a single line of code. All of this — without touching a single line of code — is what separates someone who memorizes syntax from someone who knows how to build software.
The cost of learning without direction
Programming languages can genuinely take a back seat when we talk about building software. Learning superficially creates what's known as framework fatigue, responsible for up to 73% of developers experiencing burnout as they jump from tool to tool without a clear purpose.
Worse still, this habit carries over into the industry. According to PMI data, 37% of organizations cite inaccurate requirements as the primary reason software projects fail — not the language being used. You don't need to charter a plane to cross two blocks when a bicycle solves the problem perfectly well.
Start with what you already know how to do
So what should you actually learn when you're starting out? If you're a beginner, master programming logic, data structures, and problem analysis first. Those are your true driving fundamentals. It will take more time and patience, but it will save you years of going in circles learning to start engines you don't yet know how to handle.
So before you walk away with a magic formula, start by solving problems you're already facing every day. If you lose your keys right before heading out, how do you solve it? If you have to make lunch, what steps do you follow? If you're facing a final boss in your favorite video game, how do you think you'll beat it?
Our brains are wired to solve problems, and even to spend hours thinking through a solution, but sometimes we're so used to solving problems that we've grown afraid of the word "algorithm," convinced it must be boring and extremely difficult. An algorithm isn't a bunch of meaningless lines, or numbers and letters that spit out a magic answer. An algorithm is a set of ordered, error-free instructions that solve a problem. And if you notice, that has a very strong connection to the definition of programming itself.
Don't be afraid of the intimidating words we use in tech. Technology is far more practical than you think. Put on your favorite music, identify your problem, look at how others solve it, and write down a series of steps to solve it yourself — in a notebook or your notes app. Before you know it, you'll have built your first algorithm.
The only thing you're missing now is solid rock to build your software on. And that's exactly what we'll cover in our next article.