This is a list of things I’m doing to become a developer. I hope it can be of use to someone, if not just a constant reminder to myself.

1. Start a blog

I wish I had done this sooner. If you’re in my position, set up a blog before you even know what to write about. Pick a name and buy it or use one of the many free options available. You’ll be surprised how ready you are to write. You can document the process of becoming a developer, or just write about tech stuff that interests you. I never thought I had anything to write about until I started actively looking for ideas. The important thing is to start the process.

2. Start building things

It doesn’t matter what it is. Pick a language, any language, and just start. You don’t need to spend a lot of time trying to pick which language you will use. If you’re just starting out it’s more important to understand the basics than it is to choose the ever-elusive “best language”. There’s plenty of good options. Ruby and Python are thrown out a lot. I chose PHP. I knew it was widely used, there were plenty of examples around the web, and I already had a passing familiarity from a WordPress site I had made previously. I don’t regret it. It has helped me learned the basics. Do I want to learn another language? Sure. I’ve been picking up a lot of Javascript lately and I want to give Ruby or Python a shot on my next project. Languages are constantly changing, don’t sweat it.

3. Create a GitHub profile

I already have a Bitbucket repository. I signed up with Bitbucket initially because they offer 5 free private repositories. I’ve been meaning to set up a GitHub repo for a while though. In fact, what am I waiting for? Consider itdone.

4. Contribute to open source projects

I should be doing this already. I think I underestimated the importance of this initially and to be honest I probably still do. Contributing to open source projects is supposed to be a great way to learn by looking at others code and putting your code out in the open. My goal for the night is to make a short list of open source projects that I want to contribute to.

5. Get involved

This is also an area that I need to improve in. I need to answer more questions on stackoverflow, participate in more conversations on blogs/hacker news etc. Just get out there and be seen. Not getting involved online is the equivalent of never leaving your house and expecting to get a job as a tour guide in Paris.

Repeat steps 2,4, and 5 as necessary.

Other things

It’s a given that every aspiring developer should be reading Hacker News and web development/tech/programming blogs everyday.

I’ve heard great things about meetups. I’m going to my first one this weekend. I’ll let you know how it goes.

I left books off the list. I enjoy reading, but I’ve never purchased a book on web development. That’s just my personal preference. I’m sure there’s lots of people that would advocate buying a book as one of the first steps.

Find a friend or group of friends you can bounce web development/tech/programming ideas off of. If I did more of #5 then I would probably have more.

So, that’s my list. That’s what I’m doing to become a developer over the next year. If there’s something you think I should add to the list, drop me a line. I always like hearing new perspectives.