Programming is something that anyone can learn! Whether you’re eight or eighty-eight years old, if you have the desire to write code and the willingness to learn, that is all you need to become a great software developer.

I was once asked in a programming interview, “What makes a team member hard to work with?” My first response was “When they don’t do their job well…” But then I caught myself, “…wait…” I had to really think about this–a bad team member isn’t someone who performs poorly. A poor performer can be corrected, if they are willing. Thus, my amended response to this interview question is “When they are unwilling to learn.”

Equipped only with a desire to code and a will to learn, you can become the best software developer out there. Why is this so?

A desire to code ranges from person to person. Maybe it’s just something you think it’s cool–like magic! For me, I love solving puzzles, automating tedious tasks, and experimenting with things–seeing “What would happen if…?”

Because you have a desire to code, you will code in your free time and discover new things! You will learn new languages, technologies, and many other domains of software. You will become a versatile asset–not somebody who knows only about the technologies the company is currently using.

Now maybe you have the desire to code, and you’re even one of the best there is! You’ve competed in coding tournaments, written books, given talks, even have two PhDs in Computer Science–but are you willing to learn?

"There is always something more to learn, even for a master."
- Master Shifu

If someone proposed a new solution, completely different from how you’d normally solve a problem, would you strike it down simply because you think you know better? Someone with this mindset cannot learn to code–anything you throw at them will simply bounce back and will not be retained.

On the other hand, someone who dropped out of elementary school and never does anything right, but is willing to learn, can become an excellent developer over time. Everything you throw at them will be absorbed–they will retain this information and apply it next time they encounter that problem. This person is preferable to someone who is unwilling to learn.

"You are the master of your destiny: No one and nothing 
can come in between you and your destiny except you. 
Take destiny by the horns and have fun."
- Po

So if you are wanting and willing to learn how to code, take an online course! Buy a book! Fiddle around and see what works and doesn’t work, then write a blog post with Kung Fu Panda quotes talking about what you learned!