Learning While Building

You Don’t Need to Know Everything to Start

Hey there 👋

A week ago, I had this conversation:

“I want to build an app, what should I learn?”

“What kind of app? And for what platforms?” I asked.

After hearing the details, I said, “Well, you have a few options depending on your preferences.”

“And how much time do I need to learn?”

“What’s your end goal again?”

“Just a simple app for myself, not looking to apply for jobs or freelancing.”

“Okay, then you don’t have to master everything. Just do what I always did. Learn the basics, what’s necessary for your project, and get started.”

That's exactly what I did when I created my first Android app. I only figured out how to show a webpage in an app, and with time, I continued to learn more as I built more apps.

The same approach worked when I switched to iOS. I began by learning the PencilKit framework for version 1 of one of my apps, Mockup, and acquired new skills with each update. When I decided to explore SwiftUI, I started by building widgets for my other apps and incorporated it into Mockup as I learned more.

For me, this process is much more enjoyable because I get to see instant results. I’m not obsessed with programming languages or coding itself; it’s all about creating a beautiful, useful product. I find more satisfaction in building something rather than just going through some coding course.

In fact, courses are a big no for me. When I was younger, I tried learning for the sake of learning. Despite developing small apps, I lacked a clear vision. I attempted to pick up Python and trendy web technologies simply because they were popular online, but I would quit after just a few days.

This hands-on method also helped during my freelancing days. I took on projects involving tasks I didn’t know and got the hang of it as I went along. It felt natural because I was accustomed to learning on the job.

But to be honest, it’s not as easy as it sounds. Sometimes, I really had no idea what I was doing. That’s normal and can happen regardless of having learned beforehand.

What I’m trying to say is, you can’t grasp everything. You never will. So even if you take a different path, at some point, you’ll need to learn new things.

This mindset is important. I see many people stuck because they think they need to be prepared for everything before they start. So next time you want to do something new, just start and learn along the way.

That’s it for this week. Thanks for reading. Now, what would you choose: learning while building or learning before? Let me know!