The Benefits of Learning Programming the Hard Way

Programming the hard way builds confidence and skills, ultimately leading to greater career success and opportunities.

### The Value of Learning Programming the Hard Way
* 💻 A year ago, a comment on my YouTube video questioned why I was building a game engine from scratch instead of using a commercial one, suggesting I would **take forever to finish my game**.
* 🤔 While the comment seemed justified given my early progress, it highlighted a common mindset that **discourages taking the harder path** in programming.
* 🎮 If your goal is simply to **release a game quickly**, using an established engine like Unity or Unreal may be the fastest route, but if you aim to **learn deeply about game development**, building your own engine can be invaluable.
* 📈 The process of tackling complex problems, even if it leads to **incomplete projects**, fosters a mindset focused on **learning rather than solely on completion**.
* 💪 Engaging with challenging programming tasks not only builds confidence but also positions you as a **knowledgeable authority** in your field, increasing your **employability and potential earnings**.
* 🚀 My journey through lower-level programming has equipped me with skills that **enhance my career prospects** and allow me to pursue **ambitious projects with greater ease**.
* 🔍 Ultimately, programming the hard way is about **long-term growth and confidence**, rather than immediate financial gain, as it prepares you for **deeper and more rewarding work in the future**.
* 💡 "Doing things the hard way gets your mind into shape," ensuring that you are ready to **tackle future challenges with resilience and skill**.

Why You Should Learn To Program the HARD WAY

This is a place for all the things that are awesome on stream. 

ThePrimeTime

Speaker received a discouraging comment about their indie game development.

The commenter suggested using a commercial game engine instead of building one from scratch.

The speaker's game at that time looked simple, a white square bouncing around.

The speaker relates this to web development, questioning why people wouldn't use established frameworks like React.

The speaker argues that if the goal is solely to release a game quickly, using an existing engine is the fastest path.

The speaker emphasizes learning how things work as the primary goal, not just completing a project.

The speaker contrasts the focus on completed projects with the importance of learning specific skills.

The speaker uses the example of learning Kubernetes through small programs, not necessarily a large project.

Building from scratch decreases the likelihood of finishing but increases the chance of learning.

The speaker argues against always using others' tools, suggesting it's detrimental in the long run.

The speaker refutes the idea of wasted time, using their experience building a failed startup as an example.

Despite the startup's failure, the speaker gained valuable full-stack experience, leading to a job at Netflix.

The speaker aims to show the benefits of learning software the hard way for career advancement.

The speaker highlights the benefits for both beginners and experienced engineers.

The speaker mentions increased pay as a result of hard-earned skills.

The speaker addresses the argument that one won't profit unless they finish and release a game.

The speaker counters that the goal might be learning, not just profit.

Learning fundamental concepts can make one a more valuable employee, even without a released project.

The speaker emphasizes that it's not a zero-sum game; there's room for many game developers.

The speaker highlights that the goal isn't always to complete a project or directly make money.

Reinventing the Wheel and the MMA Fighter Analogy

The speaker addresses the common objection against building tools from scratch.

The speaker points out that this objection presupposes the same goals for everyone.

The speaker uses an analogy with MMA fighters and other activities to illustrate the value of self-improvement.

The speaker identifies the underlying assumption that the goal is to get something to market quickly.

The speaker argues that self-improvement and pushing limits are valuable in themselves.

The speaker explains that building skills the hard way leads to a deeper understanding of libraries and tools.

The speaker advises training for the desired position, not the current one.

The speaker shares personal experiences of getting stuck on difficult programming problems.

The speaker emphasizes that the hard way is only hard at the beginning; productivity increases afterward.

The speaker acknowledges that this approach doesn't always scale well in team environments.

The speaker emphasizes that overcoming challenges builds confidence.

The speaker uses snowboarding as an analogy for building confidence through overcoming challenges.

The speaker connects the confidence gained from lower-level programming to improved communication.

The speaker discusses the "Inner Circle" effect and how confidence leads to better opportunities.

The speaker connects confidence to higher pay and job security.

The speaker advises picking something not fully understood and diving deeper.

The speaker suggests trying to recreate something without using libraries.

The speaker mentions Handmade Hero as an example of a resource for learning lower-level game engine design.

The speaker suggests learning Git from the command line as a smaller, achievable goal.

The speaker concludes by summarizing the benefits of programming the hard way.