In movies we often see heroes that use superpowers and we often imagine what it would be like to be one of them. The truth is, we could. Coding or programming is the closest we have been to these superpowers. I’m not a professional programmer but I learned to code in school and now I use a little bit of coding in my work. I also try to do some personal projects, mainly to maintain and develop this precious skill. Reason? I belive that coding is not only a skill of the future, but one of the present as well. Here are a couple reasons why.
PROGRAMMING IS NOT NUCLEAR SCIENCE
Becoming a programmer could sound scary. Everything unknown is scary, until you understand the basics. You do not have to be a genius to learn how to code. You have to have the will to dive into it. Programming isn’t about coming up with complex algorithms. You can use what someone else has already done. Most coding languages are like building something from lego bricks. Piece by piece. In the past, it was really difficult to learn programming. In the age when programming languages only developed, tutorials, programming schools and mentors just didn’t exist. Very unlike today when we live in a world full of information, with unlimited access to resources (for example here). Now you can learn in days!
YOU CAN WORK FROM EVERYWHERE
From home, the café, the park or the mountains of Peru. Often you don’t even need a wifi. How many professionals can say this? A few weeks ago our team from work visited the city of Barcelona. For ten days we worked from a place litterally hundreds of kilometers from our HQ. And I must say that it felt really cool, being able to discover the city in the morning, work for a while, go for lunch on the beach, work a little more again and live in Barcelona streets in the evening .
UNLIMITED POWER
I was about 14 when I created my first program. The truth is, it was quite humble in the beginning. Every programmer starts like that. But you could end up building the next Facebook, Youtube or Snapchat. Maybe you dreamed of becoming a doctor, a sportswoman or a lawyer. The truth is that the future is in the “code”. It wasn’t so long ago when we had traffic people at every intersection. Now we have the traffic lights. In the past if you wanted to watch a movie, you had to go to a store, pick a movie, go home and after you watched it you had to bring it back and pay for it. Today almost every profession is or could be somehow transformed by code.
DOUBLE IMPACT
With programming you can earn good money and you can change the world. Don’t laugh. Try looking around you. Biggest companies and accomplishments in the world are here because of code. Money is good. But for me personally, an occasional programmer, the financial part is not that important. I think it’s more important to create something that will help me in my life and help other people with a task or a problem. Maybe I can’t paint, write beautiful articles and make a great film, but with coding I can share my perspective and show my ideas to the world. In the past, I felt like a child no one listens to. With coding apps, scripts and websites I can share what’s important to me.
Statistics say that not all of you become programmers. I just want to show you some of advantages of programming. It may not be just about money. I am sure that programming can help you in your daily life. It’s a skill that can help you automate certain tasks of your work. And by automating some part of your work or life you can earn extra time. Time for doing what you really love! Learn to code. Coding is a secret superpower. You will look like you have magical abilities compared to other people.
