My personal coding journeyMy personal coding journey

I'm a college drop out. After 6 months in the computer science degree it felt too difficult, I couldn't grasp the concepts. I felt incapable of learning how to code. While I was trying my best in class I got an opportunity to work at a startup doing mostly design, which I learnt on my own, using Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign.

Here are a few of my designs:

During the mornings I would go the Carlos III by bike, attend the classes and then go to house of the founders during the afternoons. I was doing around 80 km per week with the bike. We would work until late, launching a small app that helped local restaurants and bars promote their business, by sending offers and menus through the app.

We got an investor, so I thought, hey, this is my chance to make it, and because I was struggling so much with programming I decided to quit computer science.

3 months later the investor left.

I was lost.

But I had to keep going.

I kept working doing some small design project for previous colleagues.

They also wanted a website.

That's when I started learning HTML and CSS through the MDNOpen in a new tab docs.

I wanted to add some animations, so I overcame my fear of coding and started learning on my own JavaScript.

From that point on...

I was obsessed.

I loved the feeling of solving some complex puzzles and be able to build things from scratch. I could not stop coding, I learnt AngularJS to create a very simple question game.

After I finished the website I landed a client through a referral, and I was doing mostly WordPress. Some patches here and there with HTML, CSS and some JavaScript. However, I disliked the WordPress environment, I was already starting to learn on my own this new framework called React.

At that moment in time I knew I wanted to dedicate my life to coding. So I signed up for a FP (which is a two-year course about coding) while I was working already as a Software Developer for a freelance how had multiple small businesses.

Since I was already doing well with HTML, CSS and JavaScript I decided to do DAM, which is an FP oriented towards backend, I thought it would compliment my knowledge.

After two intense years of working and studying and graduating with honours I went to look for companies to do my compulsory practices. I already knew what I didn't want from previous work experiences, so I dedicated a lot of time finding the right company.

That's how I learnt about Autentia, a software company specialised in best practices, architecture and testing. Since they didn't have a deal with the center where I was studying I put them in contact, and managed to strike a deal so 3 students, including myself could have our practices there.

I was the only one they hired.

I stayed 7 years at Autentia.

I started with Java, then did a bit of Android and then a client asked for a formation about VueJS. So they assigned it to me and that's how I started to teach courses. They liked the course so much that they asked me to do some consultation there. That's how I landed a client for Autentia.

I think over the years I've given now more than 20, ranging from E2E testing, Advanced React, TypeScript, Architecture and I even taught a full 2 years private master.

I started also sharing my knowledge out of passion for sharing to my peers and colleagues, and then in stages in different tech events in Spain. I've given more than 40 talks now across the world.

Then, I quit to become a freelancer specialised in AI Frontend Architecture, working globally with companies that have challenges scaling their codebases.

It's been a whole journey, and it doesn't seem to end now that we have AI.

#Lessons

The lessons that I learned along the way are countless, but if I had to pick three regarding learning coding they would be:

1. Build things that inspire you and that you find useful
2. Share your knowledge: give talks, write posts, talk about what you build with others
3. Code every day. Every single day, even if it's a bit.

I built an Arkanoid in 2016 just because I wanted to. Here's the original code, so you can play it:

Now a big question for juniors is, how should I learn coding in this AI era? Well, that would be another post.

Thank you for reading, and thanks to everyone that has helped me along this path. I cherish you.