Learn Python First

Three years ago I wrote my first line of code.

It was a simple line in Python. Three words in total:

print("hello world");

Here's the crazy part...it took me almost a year to write that first line.

When the idea to code popped into my head, I consulted Google. I found tons of content that gave me conflicting advice about which language to start with. I kept reading the same conclusion: it depended on what I wanted to build with my programming. Was I going to build apps, scrape data, build operating systems, or something else?

I was stuck in analysis paralysis. So I stalled. For a year.

I wasted all that time thinking I had to know what I wanted to build before I started. You don't. Like many things in life, starting is the most important part and you find "your" path along the way.

If you are brand new to programming but feel unsure about which language to start with, let me decide for you.

Here's why...

Python looks like plain English

Learning to program is hard enough.

There are a lot of new concepts and ways of thinking that take time to understand. It makes it even harder if the syntax to write the language is unfamiliar. Python looks like plain English so learning the syntax is a breeze.

This means you can spend your brainpower on learning more valuable concepts.

You can build anything with Python

Python can build so many different things.

You can build all kinds of apps. You can scrape and manipulate data, build bots, or dive deep into machine learning. Is Python the perfect language for everything above? No. But it is good enough. And when you are starting, good enough is perfect.

Don't worry about feeling stuck with Python. There are more things you can build than you have time to build them.

Python gives you a transferrable foundation

What you learn using Python will build an excellent programming foundation.

Knowing how to deal with variables, lists, dictionaries, and loops are key concepts regardless of which language you use. I spend most of my days in JavaScript now but it was shocking how easy it was to make the switch after learning Python.

I already had the foundation I needed to pick things up super fast.

Overall, Python is the perfect launchpad that can take you anywhere you want in the programming universe.