Is it realistic to think...

[Kal]

So I have had many ideas for web and mobile apps. The problem is I don't know any programming language, my computer skills are limited to spreadsheets and pivot tables and I have no web design background.

I starting looking into outsourcing some of these ideas and I am actually in contact with one back end developer right now. The more I get into it I realize how difficult managing the website will be even once it is developed. With no skills in that environment I will be at the mercy of others. I also believe that for every 10 good ideas only ONE may become profitable.

My options are:

1. Avoid the web development and try to focus on something I know (finance)
2. Start learning to develop, code all from scratch


Do you think option 2 is realistic?


Cheers.

 

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[dec360]

I think option 2 is very realistic. Especially if you cant come up with any good ideas in the area of finance. You dont have to become an expert programmer to start developing your website or app. You can start by outsourcing the project and at the same time start learning as much as you can about programming.

Learn something new everyday and eventually you will be able to understand a lot of it and do some or most of the programming yourself. I am in a similar situation and thats how I am going about it. Some people say that they dont have time to learn programming but when i ask them how much time they spend watching tv they then stay quiet. So you also need to have the right mindset to stay focused and motivated.

 

[Kal]

Well I am definitely willing to put in the time.

Can anyone give me any advice on where to even start? Which programming language to start with?

 

[Kal]

By the way an idea for a business for someone that knows how to code is creating a site, school that teaches people to code from scratch.

Lessons 1-100, with webinars and stuff.

Just a thought I just had...

 

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[rocksolid]

I could not do option 2. I have tried and it just is not for me but you might be able to learn code, but that is no reason to give up on your ideas. Go to Elance and find somebody who can do the job for you.

 

[dec360]

I started out by learning from this guy on youtube. If you go to his channel on youtube there are a bunch of free tutorials.

YouTube - ‪Fundamentals of HTML in Dreamweaver CS5 - Part 1‬‏

 

[Milenko]

With programming on the web, simple things are easily and cheaply outsourced and complex things require enough specialized knowledge and experience that it just doesn't make much sense to invest the time and energy required to learn how to do them yourself. Assuming that you end up actually liking programming enough to stick with it and learn the more complex stuff - that's certainly not guaranteed. Yes, it's more costly and complicated to outsource something like a web application but compared to the time and opportunity cost of learning how to do the work yourself it's a bargain.

If you want to be able to launch and maintain websites effectively then learn how to manage a CMS like Wordpress or Drupal. You can pick up enough HTML, CSS, and PHP to extend a CMS much more easily than you can learn a programming language from the ground up. For anything you can't handle yourself, it's also simpler and cheaper to outsource modules and custom programming for a CMS than it is to commission a completely custom application.

 

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[wade1mil]

Kal,

Learning programming languages is a process just like learning finance was. I started learning programming languages back in 1995 as a teenager and have a very good grasp on multiple languages. I have never worked as a computer programmer, but I have used it multiple times in an attempt to create an online business. I think it depends on how you learn best (i.e. watching, reading, doing). Here are a few resources to look at:

Watching: Lynda
Reading: HTML Goodies

I started my education on HTML Goodies and went over the primers 10 times each. You'll probably want to start with HTML and CSS. After you have this down, I would then venture into JavaScript, SQL,and then one of the following: PHP, ASP, ColdFusion. Hope this helps.

 

[ManWithABeard]

Some people say that they dont have time to learn programming but when i ask them how much time they spend watching tv they then stay quiet.

Quoted for Truth.