Master this one skill to become a web developer

I maintain a deeply held conviction that there is only one skill that you must master to become a web developer. It's something that I've struggled to understand all my life. It's a skill that I learned while training for my first triathlon in 2011 and I relearned when raising my son.

Without this skill, you'll accomplish nothing in life. And the web development trade will always be just out of reach if you don't master this skill first.

Ok, enough teasing. What is it?

Treehouse is amazing for aspiring web developers

I dislike reviews that don't tell you the verdict until the end. I won't do that. You'll get my verdict in the very beginning, every time.

Treehouse is an online technology school and it's amazing. Anytime someone asks me the best way to learn the basics of web development, I point them to Treehouse first. It's reliable, fun, incredibly high quality, and they're always adding new content.

What you can learn

With Treehouse, you can learn web development, web design, iOS programming, Android programming, and how to start a business. The "web development" category has the most content. You can learn HTML/CSS, JavaScript/jQuery, Ruby on Rails, PHP, and even Wordpress, all through tidy packages called Learning Adventures.

Having doubts is natural, maybe even good

You're taking a big step, maybe spending a lot of money, and definitely spending a lot of time learning web development. You might be taking time away from family. You have to cut back on other expenses to fit this new direction into your budget. You're taking a personal risk, too, because learning something new and trying to become something better always makes you vulnerable.

You have questions, doubts. If you don't yet, they will come.

Is all this worth it? Is it worth the investment? What if you fail and people see that you couldn't cut it? What if you learn it all and don't like the life of a web developer or your job prospects aren't what you thought they'd be? Am I even capable of becoming a web developer?

Getting help when you're stuck

When you're learning web development, or any other complicated skill, getting stuck is a dreadful experience. Often times, you're stuck so badly that you don't even know the right question to ask to get help. Posting questions on social networks can be embarrassing, annoying to your online friends, and most likely fruitless. Resorting to Google when you aren't even sure of the problem is even more frustrating.

For beginners, getting stumped can be a momentum killer. And, if it happens often enough without quick assistance, it can demotivate from learning altogether. Finding the right help in a timely manner is incredibly valuable. In fact, it's so valuable that I've been mulling over an idea to provide a real-time solution. I even bought a domain name for it: unstumped.com.

When can I call myself a web developer?

Becoming a web developer is an entirely unique experience. Because the industry is advancing so quickly, you can confidently expect that you'll never be finished. If you're expecting a finish line you'll be disappointed when you realize it's just a mirage; it's not actually there.

For aspiring web developers

I love people who are trying to become web developers. It's a hard road and they're brave for walking it. It's a road full of uncertainties, obstacles, sacrifice, face-palms, and a plenty of victories.

Becoming a web developer as an adult is even harder. You don't have the luxury of unlimited time, unlimited attention, and no bills. You have to balance your learning with spending time with family, keeping your day job, running errands, household chores, and taking care of yourself. With all those responsibilities, finding time to study on your own is double hard. Add the fact that there's no one looking over your shoulder, no accountability, no grades, and no deadlines and you have the perfect recipe for quitting a thousand times before you reach web developer status.