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Often those who can't program suffer from an inferiority complex. For example, an aspiring product manager who can't get a job at a startup thinks it is because she doesn't have a computer science degree. (More likely, her skills or experiences simply don't line up well with the hiring company's needs.) I see this all the time from people I meet in my product community PM Fast Track.
Plus there is the envy of seeing thoes who are “makers;” programmers can simply build new apps, whereas non-programmers have to ask others. In a culture that values independence and perseverance, admitting inability to do something on one's own can be difficult. This can find perverse expressions among some programmers who bash MBAs and other non-technical folks.
(Read a separate post about humility and learning from others.)
So, if you are not technical, should you learn to code? Should you attend a coding bootcamp? Sign up for classes?
Well, that's an itch that many simply must scratch. Often, though, they will find that they get less than they hoped for.
You still can't build fancy apps, and you still feel the impostor syndrome.
:(
Well, that sucks.
I am not saying you shouldn't learn to code (would be good if you can), but what I will say is that there are higher ROI activities you can engage in if your goal is not to program for a career.
So, if you are a “business” person who wants to better understand how to work in teams with technical folks, and understand the technical mindset more, then I would suggest you try the following instead before you enroll in a coding bootcamp.
"Fools learn from experience. The wise learn from the experience of others."
A Romanian Proverb
So, a good place in starting to learn and talk like a hacker would be to read the words of the following hackers and thinkers.
Articles
How to Become a Hacker by Eric S. Raymond
Guide to Personal Productivity by Marc Andreessen (and his other blog posts)
Hackers and Painters by Paul Graham (and his other essays)
Challenge of the Future by Peter Thiel (and other CS183 startup class notes)
Books
There are no substitutes for books, but since the above list already represents good amount of reading, we can come back to books in the future.
What is knowledge if it is not applied into action?
It is called useless. As in “I know bunch of useless facts. Tee hee hee.”
So try some (or all) of the following.
Just for fun.
That's called leverage.
This is called measurement.
Measurement + leverage = key ingredients to thinking like a hacker
More social
And if you want to add learning to code to this list, then give one of the following a try for starters:
And if you are interested in other career advice, check out the prior post about mapping your career.
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David at Crater Lake National Park