Idk about a bootcamp, before building with code i was thinking NOSTR and Bitcoin both sound like interesting and relatively simple protocols. So maybe since there are so many languages and whatnot, start by learning to understand these on a code level. Both as a means of finding some direction and obviously an incentive/motive (i use them)
Is that a good idea š
Yeah I think so. You can fully learn anything on your own now with the internet, and with Nostr / google / chatgpt you can probably get every specific question you have answered eventually. And those questions will lead you to figuring out what direction you want to go as you progress. Itāll be a grand adventure.
Iām pushing myself into a new arena this year (building houses) and itās just been a series of solving problems thus far. Iāve got a long way to go but I feel like Iām on the right track. Had to get out of my comfort zoneā¦ and I want to escape the fiat matrix for good so need new skillz + more ways to earn bitcoin.
You could also try Saylor academy for some free online programming courses. If you figure out a language you want to focus on.
Yes, itās a great idea! I taught myself a few years ago. Itās very rewarding to see your ideas come to life.
The most important thing ā¦ never get frustrated. If youāre someone who gets frustrated easily, youāll need find ways to dig deep and release that negative energy. As you start, you will frequently hit a wall. I remember twice having an āunsolvableā problem where I worked for five days straight. Hundreds of attempts. Nothing worked until it did. Eventually, youāll solve the problem if you donāt give up. Make this your superpower. Be the person who never gives up and youāll be able to do anything.
I donāt know what your background is, so itās hard to make recommendations. I can tell you what I didā¦
From my previous jobs, I already had a background in app UX and basic computer science. I knew what I needed to do, but I didnāt know how to do it. Iām the kind of person who learns best by working on something I can āseeā so I taught myself how to do full stack web development. Later, I taught myself rust so I could work on bitcoin projects.
Also, get a subscription to chatgpt 4. It is really good at coding and it can act as your personal tutor to explain concepts.
There are many directions you could go, so youāll need to pick an initial direction. A few key ones: app development, protocol development, AI.
Do you have some ideas on what you might want to build?
Great response. You are the man!š§”š
Love this, thank you so much. Plans for what to build, not so much. Iāve had plenty but never write anything down š« . I really just want to start by understanding bitcoin and nostr more deeply and go from there.
I donāt have a background in this stuff whatsoever. Took a computer science class in college where we used what iām pretty sure was a customized version of C++. I actually didnāt do very well mainly bc i did what the professor warned everyone not to do on the final exam and accidentally deleted my entire library just before it started... i loved the course though and did gain some understanding of how code works, āplaying computerā in your head when looking over what youāve written and stuff.
I really didnāt wanna have to subscribe to chatgpt but i had a feeling it would be borderline necessary. I trust your judgement on that. The real problem is time. But iāll try. Thanks again for the thoughtful response š§”
Would you say that Andreas Antonopolousā book Mastering Bitcoin is a crucial part of this journey?
Self taught dev here. https://freecodecamp.org is a great place to start. If you get a text book, do ALL the things. EXACTLY as written. Youāre only cheating yourself if you donāt try. Answer the questions, do the exercises. Then find forums to ask in (nostr might be a good forum!)
Havenāt read it but looks really good for understanding the bitcoin protocol. I didnāt read it yet because Iām pretty comfortable with those details already.
Whether you should read it depends on what you want to build (your available time and priorities).
There are alternatives to ChatGPT 4 but none as good and easy. I would use it for anything you donāt mind openai knowing. (Like learning or public open source software) If youāre working on something top secret, then you might want your own AI model running locally.
I personally wouldnāt focus on the bitcoin or nostr protocol details until you have computer science basics and know which direction you want to go.
Eventually, if you decide you want to create a nostr app, you can make use of the development kits that are available at that time. There are a few now for nostr and Iām sure theyāll only get better. There are other development kits for bitcoin and Lightning too.
Let me know if you have any questions about any of that.
Gotcha, bookmarked this note. Thanks again š«”
