what you've suggested is how i got started, but the biggest hurdle is just that... starting.

too many people, myself included (circa 2015), belabor tools and frameworks as a procrastination tactic for actual learning.

this is not to say tools don't matter. but one must acknolwedge there is research, and there is implementation. insecure professionals who want to learn to code sometimes spend years mistaking the former for the latter.

one thing that held me back before i finally mustered the energy and confidence to learn to code, was that i was years behind my peers and would therefore never be as good as them. here's how i handled that.

first, i decided so what. i will also never be as tall, as smart, as fit, or as funny as some people either. does that mean i shouldn't exercise, read, write, learn, and try to be a better person? it's weird how we can spot the logical flaw IRL (in real life), but ignore it when applied to learning to code.

second, i decided i would never be a developer. sure, i write a lot of code. but i'm not defined by the behavior. my identity is not "software developer" and it never will be, no matter how much i develop the skill. i once heard a $1b startup founder state something like, "i'm not a developer, i'm more of a prototypist. i can build v1." after lowering my expectations to "prototypist" status, the pressure was off and i arrived at conclusion #3 below.

third, i decided #1 and #2 are bullsh*t. with enough practice, i can become as good or better than my peers with years' experience over me. my live streams, where i build entire SaaS apps from scratch in 1 sitting, prove this.

choose your goals, curb your research, and start learning today.