<center>![](https://steemitimages.com/DQmSsJ6Lh87aBLcMdKJ6jY336mE9UnyQZi3DZ4rstUHR6dM/image.png)
</center>

The books all say "everyone can code".   I believe that the same way a defense lawyer would.  Of course anyone can type code into a computer - but having it do anything meaningful - having it solve YOUR problems is something entirely different.

I like online business - its always been where I have seen the greatest successes.  My background is IT - so there has never really been a time where my lack of technical knowledge has stopped me.  I've learned about a dozen languages in my life - but I code in most of them poorly.

To learn to code and build something meaningful (like a prototype for your business) you have to first of all select a language.  There are only 2 languages I would recommend people to learn as a first language - Python if you really plan on programming or Ruby if you want a language that is as close to English as possible.

There are pros and cons to both of these languages - but both of them will allow you to build rich web apps, or even standalone programs.

To really learn to program - you have to do a lot of it.  I took a lot of classes when I was younger - and I can barely remember any of it.  In order to program you have to find projects that you find useful - or you will forget it.  You also have to constantly program small things in order to stay relevant.

I relearned Python a few years back.  I knew the drill - I made a list of a few simple projects and began working on them.  I have a weather station hooked up to my computer - so my first project was to take the data from a CSV file on my local machine - upload it to my server - and have it display the relevant information on a website.

In doing my own project - I relied more on the official documentation - I read other peoples posts on forums and I even found similar code to what I was trying to write (which allowed me to write the program a few different ways).

Knowing how to code will save you time and money - as well as give you a new perspective on your project and on life.

Sometimes when I am working through an idea - I write it in pseudo code and see how it plays out.  Knowing how to code gives you a structured way to solve problems both with a computer and without.

When we start businesses and are in the "bootstrap" phase - where we are wearing "all the hats" - knowing how to code can accelerate your growth.  Its a lot easier to attract investors and to attract other programmers if you already have a functioning prototype.

There are a lot of reasons people should learn to code.  Everyone has a different learning style - if you've tried before and have been unsuccessful its probably the method you chose to learn.  Full immersion is the only way to do it if you want it to stick.  A site like CodeAcademy may teach you the basics - but if you want to learn to code and be able to solve problems - you need to learn to code by solving **your own** problems.

Ryan Geddes is a writer and entreprenuer located in Toronto Canada.  When he's not writing, hes helping with <a href="https://www.houseandcanvas.com">House&Canvas</a> Chalk Finish <a href="https://www.houseandcanvas.com/product/houseandcanvas-furniture-paint/"> Furniture Paint</a>.