The most honest pieces of advice I got from a fellow nerd. Without all that showboating crap floating around youtube. Nobody learns everything in a day, and nobody makes big breaks in a day. You gotta keep chipping away at the mountain, maybe a you'll crack a big rock someday. Thanks for all you do, man!

You have done a lot already. Be proud of how far you have come and and keep working on that project that sparked this whole quest.

I see the wisdom in your advice how to get started... and I agree with you, editing that video down and polishing it might not have the impact, so I think your raw video will reach people that are starting out. As a Software developer that had to learn pre-Internet (1977) I can say that it is so easy today to figure this stuff out and get help with resources such as yourself willing to put time into helping people. So what about can I add to the conversation with my 40+ years? First thing to realize is that you'll never reach the end of learning... You've hit on this topic before, but I think it's worth repeating because it is so crucial to doing this work, and before I plow into this topic, I'm not saying that "you" specifically, this is the generic "you" and that also includes myself! These are MY hard-learned lessons that I must keep reminding myself of... so here they are: #1: Get a better model of what software engineering, and what the nature of software is: What might be surprising to many is that this industry is still evolving this field, it is still trying to solve issues with developing code, making better programming languages, ways to code, etc... There is still a dialogue happening, and this stuff is not all set in stone. Sometimes the tools and mental models (constructs) that we have are somewhat flawed, and to a finer point: that's assuming that you understood them perfectly in the first place! I have interacted with people to find there's some misinterpretation of what was _actually_ said. For example, Dr. Fredrick Brooks said in "Mythical Man Month". his essay on "No Silver Bullet" what is often misunderstood about essential and accidental complexity... please Google this and read it! and even Dr. Brooks himself had to correct and reexplain the rebuttals that the critics got wrong; in his essay 9 years later "No Silver bullet refired" ("NSB Refired") he had to clarify what the critics misunderstood. #2: Just because you got code "working" doesn't mean you _really_ solved the problem... Sure... Working code is critical, but that's not truly the end of development of any useful code that provides value, whether it be a video game or a business program. And to be clear: I'm not talking about fixing bugs, no, this is about altering functionality or adding features. Consider how many times you have to revisit your code, refactor, might even scrap it and rewrite it... if you wrote code "right", "Perfect" or "correctly" like your thought it was done, then why was it so difficult to modify? Don't accept that that's the way things are, that we can only be *reactive* to change... Reconsider and challenge that notion, learn about dependency control, design patterns, and the SOLID principles... You'll see how you can be *proactive* to changes and have a more robust product in the end. #3: You can't know everything... And don't assume that you can. At some point you might think Years of being a developer, certificates, advanced degrees somehow puts you on top of the game, above everyone else, like the guru on top of the mountain... That ain't so, there's no such person. Take myself as an example: I have a MSCS, BSCS, ASCS, and an AA Electronics degree, I've taught 10 years at the Cal State University, worked 30+ years in the industry as a professional developer, Wrote video games in the 1980's for the ViC-20, As impressive as that is, I still don't consider myself on top of the game. I'm sorry to disappoint if you thought having all that stuff would make you some perfect programmer... While it is valuable to have, it is kind of an illusion, at the end of the day I'm still a flawed human being like everyone else walking around on this planet... and you'd be surprised what I don't know. Yes, I consider myself an accomplished programmer, many do as well, but it's the humbling nature of this work, and while my skills keep me out of many troubles that rookies fall into, I still can get tangled up in programming problems... I make mistakes... and that's just par for the course in this line of work. #4 What I am saying is that approach all endeavors as an opportunity to learn and expand yourself... and that includes (believe it or not): EVEN WHEN IT'S GOING WELL!!! There is no such thing a "perfect" code... ever! The challenge is to remain humble and at the same time be confident in your abilities... It's the razor's edge that requires balance to walk it. This is getting TL:DR, but I hope I've cracked the door open enough to shed some light. This field can be rewarding, it is tedious at times, requires discipline to practice to do it well, and by all means seek out the great masters that come before us, Like "Uncle Bob", Dave Farley, Alan Kay, Douglas Engelbart, Fredrick Brooks, and so on... they are the giants whose shoulders we stand on... Don't be discouraged, I know it is intimidating starting out, and learn from everyone you can. Cheers!

Thank you for this video. I just want to let anyone hear that is pondering if they should support or sign up for the mentoring sessions that it is worth every penny. I have grown over the last few months more than I would've without doing so. I look forward to the sessions and I also love asking questions in Discord. I'm not extremely talkative but I am working on it. What a wonderful heartfelt video and all of it genuine. All of this is from my own journey and experience over the past 5-6 months. Thank you for all you do and never ever give up!

super true, I learned to code on the job when I had a reason to code. It was to "boring" for me until I had a good enough reason.

I've learned so much from you Matt! It's really nice to get to see this other side of you. Keep the good work, mate

Thank you so much for this video!! I could relate to every single tip you shared, and am happy that you also mentioned about staying away from drama and toxic people.

I second everything you said bro. Congrats on your journey so far. Cheers 🍺

I like video games but I like learning more. Thats why I plan on making video games that teach people how to do stuff that useful. I want to make an earthship game that teaches people how to garden and build earthships. Kinda like "The Sims", that game was awesome, and somewhat educational for a kid to understand how to function in life. There are definitively a lot of games that waste time because you don't learn anything. An example of a fun game where you learn something is Gran Turismo, you learn about car physics . I'm sure playing racing games have kept me from crashing cars in my past

Great vid, lot of takeaways! Love your channel and your videos.

Do you think it’s a good idea to go back to college for computer science? I’m in my late 20s and got an unrelated degree I do not use but have done a internship in web development and realized I lack a lot of knowledge. Enjoyed the video!

Would you want an editor for your videos? I have no experience on how to do that really but I'd do it for free

Neat

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