Episode description

ChatGPT is completely changing how we learn programming.

Instead of getting bogged down by coding theory, even beginners can jump right into building projects from day one.

Quite the difference compared to university!

With tools as simple as ChatGPT, you can experiment with building real applications right from the start quite easily without understanding much.

This hands-on approach lets you learn by doing, offering instant feedback and a way to explore coding in a practical, exciting way.

But there's a good and a wrong way to approach this.

Relying solely on copy-pasting code won’t make you a programmer.

When ChatGPT gives you a code snippet—say, a script that processes data or handles user login—use it as a starting point.

TAKE THE TIME to UNDERSTAND why the code works, experiment with modifications, and see how changes affect the outcome.

True mastery comes from engaging with the code, troubleshooting errors, and making it your own.

If you can't explain anything, even if your app runs, it won't make you a better programmer or get you a good job. It will also have the downside of making a precarious app. You'll one day end up with too much code to follow what's happening, and ChatGPT will be stuck in an endless debugging loop.

Yes, do embrace the power of AI to kickstart your projects, but just keep in mind that real growth (and value) happens when you do things and learn the logic behind every line.

We've built a whole course about that principle to learn Python: https://academy.towardsai.net/courses/python-for-genai?ref=1f9b29