Ready to board the train to Hogwarts?

Since I sat in front of a computer (an Apple Macintosh Classic or “XO”) for the first time in my childhood, I was amazed by software and computers.

I always wondered how everything works and mostly came to the conclusion that it’s some kind of wizardry. Over the next 20-30 years I’ve gotten quite good at using computers and software, but I never really understood how they are built.

I’ve launched a few businesses online and even designed websites with no-code tools at some point. I then founded an eLearning design agency which has been my main income for 8 years.

However, I still thought writing software was magic. I thought it would be super difficult and nearly impossible without 1. a very exceptional brain or 2. a large team and lots of money. Of course I kind of knew that normal people like you and me develop software and online businesses every day. Still, it felt a little too far away for me. I tried a few half-hearted attempts learning how to code, but never really got the hang of it.

Seeing how some of the most famous SaaS entrepreneurs and indie hackers like Pieter Levels or Jon Yongfook build enormous online businesses didn’t help. It got me motivated, but not really closer to actually doing it.

What then really made the difference was finding people who are just a few little steps ahead. Scrolling through Twitter (or now X) for a few month has helped me find a few people who started building SaaS and learning how to code just a few years or even months before me. I read a few of their blogs (e.g. Nico Jeannen, Nicolai Klemke, Danny Postma) and posts on Twitter. I saw how they were able to build businesses and ship ideas quickly.

Which excuse did I now have to not do the same? None!

I’ve always had a lot of ideas for new businesses or apps, but never knew how to build them. Going from 0 to 1 and building something from ground up seems like magic to me.

That’s why I decided at the end of 2023 to go all in and learn how to code and build a new online business in 2024. I dedicated January to learn how to code and extended that a little further in order to get the basics right. Now the time has come to learn by doing. I am still far from the point where I can do magic, but it feels to me that I can do a few simple card tricks. Professionals wouldn’t be impressed or may even laugh at it, but my little nephews would be amazed.

For me, that’s good enough for now.

This marks the end of my very first blog post. I’ll be sharing more on how my journey as a software developer and indie hacker goes in the future. Stay tuned!