3 Developer Roadmaps That Actually Work

Summary

This video script offers a comprehensive guide for beginners looking to learn coding, focusing on three popular programming languages: Python, Java, and web development with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. It emphasizes Python's beginner-friendly nature, Java's industry relevance, and the comprehensive skillset required for web development. The speaker provides resources, discusses common mistakes, and introduces a method beyond video tutorials to learn programming effectively. Additionally, the script touches on the importance of understanding trade-offs, math skills, and the necessity of mastering data structures and algorithms for job interviews, particularly in larger companies. It concludes with advice on building habits for consistent learning and the importance of self-motivation.

Takeaways

• 😀 Pick a programming language to start learning coding. Popular options include Python, Java, and web development.
• 🐍 Python is recommended for beginners due to its simplicity and resemblance to English. It's ideal for those who are new to programming.
• 📹 A step-by-step roadmap to learn Python is available in a video, which includes free resources and common beginner mistakes.
• ☕ Java is a good choice for those seeking more opportunities in the tech industry, especially for backend applications.
• 🌐 Web development, comprising front-end and back-end development, offers the most job opportunities but requires perseverance and motivation.
• 🖥️ Front-end development involves HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, along with frameworks like Angular or React.
• 🔧 Back-end development can use server-side languages like Python with Django or JavaScript with Node and Express.
• 💼 Freelancing often requires web or mobile development skills, while tech company jobs may involve coding interviews focused on data structures and algorithms.
• 📊 Preparing for coding interviews requires mastering data structures, algorithms, and understanding Big O notation, which involves some math skills.
• 📚 Learning programming requires consistent effort and building productive habits, as there is no magic solution to mastering it.

Q & A

Which programming language is recommended for beginners according to the script?

Python is recommended for beginners because it is very similar to writing in English and is considered the easiest option.

What are the three common mistakes that many beginners make when learning Python as mentioned in the video?

The script does not specify the three common mistakes; it only mentions that they are covered in the video made by the speaker.

What is the alternative method to learn programming suggested in the video?

The alternative method suggested is not explicitly stated in the transcript, but it is implied that it is better than just watching video tutorials and getting stuck.

Why is Java recommended over C++ for beginners?

Java is recommended over C++ for beginners because the speaker finds C++ a little harder to grasp and Java does most things that C++ does, making it more beginner-friendly.

What are the two parts of web development mentioned in the script?

The two parts of web development mentioned are Front end development, which determines how a website looks and behaves, and Backend development, which decides what happens on the server side.

What are the three building blocks for front end development?

The three building blocks for front end development are HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

What are some common JavaScript frameworks or libraries used in the industry?

Some common JavaScript frameworks or libraries used in the industry include Angular and React.

Why might the 'No Code' movement affect the future of web development?

The 'No Code' movement enables people to build websites without using any code, which could potentially reduce the demand for traditional web developers.

What is the importance of learning Data Structures and Algorithms for job interviews?

Learning Data Structures and Algorithms is important for job interviews because they are often tested in coding interviews, especially in bigger companies, and are crucial for backend roles.

What is the 'big O' of an algorithm and why is it important for coding interviews?

The 'big O' of an algorithm refers to how many times a particular piece of code runs in the worst-case scenario. It is important for coding interviews because interviewers often ask about it to assess the efficiency of the candidate's solution.

How does the speaker suggest preparing for coding interviews?

The speaker suggests mastering Data Structures and Algorithms, understanding the 'big O' notation, and practicing interview-style problems on platforms like Leetcode.

What is the role of 'Atomic Habits' by James Clear in the learning process according to the speaker?

The speaker implies that the learnings from 'Atomic Habits' by James Clear can help individuals find the motivation within themselves and build habits that will help them learn programming consistently.

Outlines

00:00

🔍 Choosing the Right Programming Path

The script begins by addressing the initial step in learning to code: selecting a programming language. Three popular languages are highlighted: Python, Java, and web development languages (HTML, CSS, JavaScript). Python is recommended for beginners due to its English-like syntax. The speaker provides a roadmap and resources for learning Python, including a video with common beginner mistakes and a novel learning method. Java is suggested for those seeking more industry opportunities and a backend focus, with its own learning resources available. Web development is the third option, divided into front-end and back-end components, with HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and frameworks like Angular or React mentioned. The speaker also discusses the 'No Code' movement and its potential impact on the demand for web developers, concluding with the importance of making an informed decision based on personal skills and interests.

05:03

📚 Preparing for a Career in Programming

This paragraph delves into the practical aspects of transitioning from learning to coding to securing a job in the tech industry. It emphasizes the importance of mastering Data Structures and Algorithms, with a specific video resource provided to learn these concepts and avoid common mistakes. The paragraph also introduces the concept of 'big O' notation, which is crucial for understanding the efficiency of algorithms during technical interviews. The necessity of basic math skills for most programming roles is highlighted, with a separate video and math course link offered for those who need to brush up on their math. The importance of stress-testing one's coding abilities through platforms like Leetcode is underscored, with the speaker sharing personal strategies for cracking interviews at major tech companies. The paragraph concludes with a motivational note, urging learners to develop consistent habits for successful programming learning, referencing insights from 'Atomic Habits' by James Clear.

Keywords

💡Programming Language

A programming language is a formal language designed to communicate instructions to a machine, particularly a computer. In the context of the video, the speaker discusses the importance of choosing a programming language as the first step in learning to code. Three popular languages are highlighted: Python, Java, and web development languages (HTML, CSS, and JavaScript). The choice of language can influence one's ease of learning, job opportunities, and the types of applications one can develop.

💡Python

Python is a high-level, interpreted programming language known for its readability and simplicity, making it an ideal choice for beginners. The video script emphasizes Python as the recommended first option for those new to coding due to its syntax that is similar to English, exemplified by the ease of printing a list of numbers on the screen.

💡Java

Java is an object-oriented programming language that is widely used for building large-scale applications. The speaker suggests Java as a better option for those seeking more challenges and long-term success in the tech industry. It is noted that Java is more popular than Python for backend applications, which could lead to better job prospects.

💡Web Development

Web development refers to the process of creating, maintaining, and developing websites. It encompasses front-end development, which focuses on the visual aspects and user interactions of a website, and back-end development, which deals with server-side logic and database management. The script mentions web development as a third option for learning to code, highlighting the importance of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and related frameworks and libraries.

💡Front-end Development

Front-end development is the process of designing and implementing the user interface and user experience of a website. It involves using technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to create how a website looks and behaves. The video script explains that front-end development is a part of web development and requires learning the building blocks of website design.

💡Back-end Development

Back-end development involves the server-side logic of web applications, dealing with databases, server logic, and application states. The speaker in the video mentions that back-end development is the other part of web development, where one might use server-side languages like Python or JavaScript with Node, and frameworks like Django or Express.

💡Frameworks and Libraries

In the context of programming, a framework is a platform that provides a structured environment to build applications, while a library is a collection of pre-written code used to perform common tasks. The script discusses the use of CSS frameworks to simplify front-end design and JavaScript frameworks like Angular or React to facilitate development in the industry.

💡Data Structures and Algorithms

Data structures are specialized formats for organizing, storing, and managing data in a computer program, while algorithms are step-by-step procedures to perform specific tasks or solve problems. The video emphasizes the importance of mastering data structures and algorithms for cracking coding interviews and becoming a successful software engineer.

💡Big O Notation

Big O notation is a mathematical notation that describes the limiting behavior of a function when the argument tends towards a particular value or infinity. In computer science, it is used to classify algorithms according to how their running time or space requirements grow as the input size grows. The script mentions big O as a concept that interviewers may ask about, indicating the need for mathematical knowledge.

💡Freelancing

Freelancing refers to the act of working independently as a contractor or consultant, rather than being employed by a single company. The video script suggests that becoming a freelancer is one way to get paid for coding, especially for those who have learned web development or mobile development skills.

💡Coding Interviews

Coding interviews are a part of the hiring process for software engineering positions, where candidates are asked to write code and solve problems to demonstrate their skills. The speaker in the video recommends preparing for these interviews by mastering data structures, algorithms, and understanding concepts like big O notation.

💡Atomic Habits

Atomic Habits is a book by James Clear that discusses strategies for forming good habits and breaking bad ones. The video script references learnings from this book as a means to motivate and build consistent habits for learning programming effectively.

Highlights

To start learning coding, choose a programming language, with Python recommended for beginners due to its English-like syntax.

A step-by-step roadmap for learning Python is available in a video by the speaker, including free resources and common beginner mistakes.

Java is suggested for those willing to challenge themselves, being popular in backend applications and offering long-term industry success.

A step-by-step guide for learning Java is provided, emphasizing its benefits over C++ for beginners.

Web development is essential for creating websites, divided into front-end and back-end development.

Front-end development involves HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, with CSS frameworks and JavaScript libraries like Angular or React being common industry practices.

Back-end development may require server-side languages and frameworks such as Django for Python or Express for JavaScript.

Web development offers more job opportunities than Java, which in turn has more than Python, but requires more effort and motivation.

The 'No Code' movement allows building websites without coding, indicating a potential shift in web development's future.

Different paths in programming require varying levels of math skills, with web development possibly not needing advanced math.

The speaker's personal choice is the Java path due to good math skills and a willingness to challenge oneself.

Freelancing or working as a Software Engineer are options for getting paid to write code, with different skill requirements for each.

Preparing for coding interviews involves mastering Data Structures and Algorithms, with resources provided by the speaker.

Big O notation is crucial for understanding the efficiency of algorithms in coding interviews, which requires basic math knowledge.

A video by the speaker covers 5 basic math skills every programmer needs, along with a free math course.

Stress testing oneself with interview-style problems on platforms like Leetcode is essential for preparing for coding interviews.

Developing consistent learning habits and motivation is key to mastering programming, inspired by the book 'Atomic Habits'.

Transcripts

To learn coding, you need to pick a programming  language first. Let’s start with that. We have  

many options here but I will talk about the 3  most popular ones. If you want to pick the  

easiest option as a beginner, I recommend  picking the first option which is Python.  

That’s because Python is very similar to writing  in English. For example, if you have a list of  

numbers. And for each number in the list,  you want to print it on the screen. Well,  

it’s already done. Let’s say you pick Python.  Now, you need a step by step roadmap to learn  

Python. More than 4 million programmers already  know that the best path to learn Python and  

actually get a job is this video that I made  a few months ago. In this video, I showed  all the

different free resources new programmers can use

to learn Python. I also listed 3 common mistakes many beginners make. On top of that, I also showed a new method to learn programming which is better than watching  

video tutorials and getting stuck there. I will  leave the link to this video and all the other  

resources I discuss today in the description. If  you are someone who is scared of programming like  

I was in the beginning. Or if you have tried other  programming languages but failed to learn coding,  

Python is the right choice for you. But, if you  are willing to take up the challenge and want to  

open more opportunities for yourself in the tech  industry, this second programming language might  

be a better option for you. And this programming  language is Java. I could have easily replaced  

Java with C++ but I find C++ a little harder to  grasp as a beginner and Java does most things  

that C++ does for you. That’s why I recommend Java  over C++ to the beginners. Java is a more popular  

option than Python for backend applications in the  industry and that’s why I believe Java sets you up  

for better long term success in the industry.  To learn Java, I have already made a step by  

step roadmap that will give you everything you  need for free. But neither Java  

or Python can help you make beautiful websites.  For that you need to learn web development. And  

that’s the third option that I have for you. Web  Development has 2 parts. Front end development  

which helps you decide how a website looks and  behaves. And Backend development which decides  

what happens on the server side when you perform  some action on the website. If you don’t know what  

all these things mean, don’t worry about it.  I will provide you everything you need today. For  

front end development, we have 3 building blocks  and these blocks are HTML, CSS and Javascript.  

Often CSS is not enough by itself. You might want  to learn a CSS framework that will make your life  

easier. Same is true for Javascript. Using a  Javascript framework or library like Angular  

or React is very common in the industry. And then  there are some other technologies like Redux and  

Next that can further improve your development  experience depending on what you are building.  

That’s all for the front end. Step by step process  with all free resources for everything that I just  

mentioned can be found in this video. This video  also covers the back end part of web development.  

For the back end, you might want to learn a server  side language like Python or use Javascript with  

the help of Node. Like in the front end, you  would want a framework like Django for Python and  

Express for Javascript to make your life easier.  As you can see, this path is a little longer than  

the other 2 paths we discussed. That’s why if you  are someone who can not stay motivated for a long  

period of time or you are someone who is scared of  programming, this path is not for you. But if you  

can persevere and develop all the skills needed  to be a good web developer, this path pretty much  

guarantees a good job in the end. Only caveat I  would like to mention here is that there is a big  

“No Code” movement going on right now. This movement enables people to build websites  

without using any code. So, many people believe that the future of web development is unclear. But for now,  

there is plenty of demand for web developers.  To be fair, the future of most technologies is  

uncertain as things change very fast in the tech  industry. So, I would not make a decision based  

on the fear of the future. You will anyway have  to learn a lot of new technologies as your career  

progresses. Once you learn one technology, picking  other technologies is not going to be that hard.

So, the big question is which of these paths  should you pick? I have provided you the reasons  

for picking each path already. To summarize,  the Python path is easier than the Java path  

which is easier than the Web development path.  And for job opportunities, Web development has  

more opportunities than Java which has slightly more opportunities than the Python path.  

What makes this choice even more difficult is that  different paths require different levels of Math  

skills. I will tell you what math skills you need  for each path shortly but for now, just take my  

word for it. Python and Java path require similar  math skills whereas for Web Development path, you  

might be able to survive without knowing any  Math. Based on these factors, different people  

should pick different paths. And as Socrates  famously said: “I can not teach anybody anything,  

I can only make them think”. My goal in this video  is to ask you questions and help you decide what  

will work for you. Software Engineering is all  about trade offs. What better way to start your  

journey than understanding the trade offs between  different paths you can take. Personally, I  

believe I am good at Math and I am ok challenging  myself. So, I would pick the Java path.

Once you have built basic programming skills, I  am sure you would want to get paid to write code.  

One way to do that is to become a freelancer  and go to websites like Fiverr or Upwork to  

find clients. By just learning basic Python or  Java, the chances of you becoming a freelancer  

are lower. That’s because most freelancing jobs  that are available would require web development  

or mobile development skills. The other safer  option you have is to work as a Software Engineer  

for some tech company. And when you apply for  a job at a tech company, they would do coding  

interviews to see if you have the required skills. In smaller companies, especially for web  

development roles, you might be able to get a job  with the skills you have learnt so far. In bigger companies,  

especially for backend roles that you might  be able to get by learning Python or Java,  

they will ask you algorithmic  style questions in the interviews. Many people seem to hate  

these interviews but for me personally, cracking  these interviews has opened so many doors. So,  

I highly recommend preparing for these  interviews. To prepare for these interviews,  

you need to master Data Structures and  Algorithms. Everything that you need to  

learn data structures and algorithms, you will  find in this video that I made. I also cover  

3 big mistakes people make when it comes to  Data Structures and Algorithms in this video.

When you learn data structures and algorithms, you  will come across this concept called big O of an  

algorithm. In simple language, big O is nothing  but how many times a particular piece of code  

runs in the worst case scenario. If what  I said makes no sense to you, that’s fine.  

What you need to know is that answering these  kinds of questions requires knowledge of Math.  

In an algorithmic style coding interview,  after you finish coding up your solution,  

the interviewer usually asks big O of your  algorithm. And that’s why, you need to know some  

basic math concepts to crack these interviews.  Like I mentioned earlier, in some cases,  

you don’t need to go through algorithmic  interviews. These are usually web development  

jobs at smaller companies. For those jobs, you  might not need any Math. But to get most other jobs,  

you would need to have some basic math skills.  Now, it’s very hard for me to cover all the Math  

skills for you here. That’s why, I already made  a video on 5 basic math skills every programmer  

needs. Along with that, I will also provide a link  to a good free course for Math in the description.

Learning Data Structures, Algorithms and  Math is one thing, but cracking the actual  

coding interviews is a totally different  beast. That’s because your learnings so far are  purely

theoretical and you have not Stress Tested  yourself at all. In software engineering,  

stress testing is a process of testing your  program under unfavorable conditions. A common  

way to stress test a service is to bombard it  with a lot of artificially generated requests  

and see if it can withstand all that pressure.  If you have made it so far in the video,  

I believe you have already stress tested  my content. So, I highly recommend that you  

subscribe to the channel. Jokes apart, we need to  stress test you for coding interviews. For that,  

you will have to go through a lot of interview  style problems and see if you can solve them  

within the interview time frame. And Leetcode is  the best resource to practice these questions.  

I solved more than 500 Leetcode problems to get my  current job at Google. But in this video that I  

made a few months ago, I provided the absolutely  essential 150 problems for you. I also shared all  

the strategies I used to crack jobs  at Amazon and Google. So, do check it out.

We have covered all the hard skills you need  to become a programmer. But are these hard  

skills enough? Reading all your comments for  the last one year, there’s one thing I am 100%  

certain about. And that is most people fail to  learn programming not because they are not good  

enough. It’s because they are wasting away their  life hoping to find some magic elixir that will  

cure all their problems. Worse, many expect it  to be delivered to their mouth by some Youtube  

guru. I hate to be the one to tell you this but  neither me nor anyone else can do it for you. You  

yourself will have to find that motivation  inside you and build habits that will help  

you learn programming consistently. Here are  my learnings from the book Atomic Habits by  

James Clear that will help you do exactly that. My  name is Sahil and I will see the transformed you in the next one.