Why Is Programming Difficult?

Programming is not easy. It takes massive amounts of effort, focus, concentration, stress and sacrifice to become proficient enough to become a software developer. In this video I break down why exactly programming is so hard and how to use it to your advantage.
** JOIN MY GROUP **
Looking for a high-quality group of software developers where you can discuss your ideas and not be bombarded by spam? Then come join my free Facebook group! You can access it by going to: andysterkowitz.com/group
** BOOKS I RECOMMENDED **
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield: amzn.to/2NUe3Wu
The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday: amzn.to/2NXmjoQ
Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz: amzn.to/2VQe4xn

[@AndySterkowitz]

How challenging has programming been for you? How difficult is it compared to other things you've tried to do in your life (get in better shape, change careers, learn a skill, etc.)?

[@cool19843]

I think it's subjective and we can't generalize it as being difficult or easy , every profession is not for everybody and that's why we are seeing more and more cases of people feeling stuck in their jobs/careers cause they never tried out other stuffs. So we must keep exploring other avenues if possible and do what's best for us. I personally enjoy programming and see it as a never ending learning process rather than to reach a particular level and getting relaxed.

[@carsenbusette384]

I haven't really thought about it like that before. Usually when I get stuck while doing something I would usually always believe that I am the problem that, maybe I'm not smart or clever enough. When the problem is really the way I handel things that are challenging in general. This video was really nice, I enjoyed it and believe that I learned something that will help me alot in this programming journey

[@carsenbusette384]

One of the things that I lack is the patience to read and understand documentation about a particular programming technology

[@lovesalie]

I think it's the marathon process that makes it especially difficult for some (and myself). There is no quick fix here, it's a process. Personally I only have an hour or two of free time a day and it's hard to carve out time to code when all I want to do is crash.

[@bosnianowitzkifan41]

I have been on a journey of learning how to code for about 9 months now and for me personally, i never experienced a period or problem so difficult that i want to quit. Of course every once in a while I get stuck on a problem or a bug etc and my self-esteem goes down, but I never reached that issue where i was like "Damn maybe this is not for me". I just take it day by day and try to progress with small task one after another.

[@isosnitsky]

My attitude towards programming is: "I don't know how to do this, i'm scared to do this, but i'll do it"

[@DylanGamingify]

big mood

[@eazye088]

I can't even understand my instructor. She can barely speak English.

[@staticbits]

Keep pushing on if you love it.

[@staticbits]

@@eazye088 You can self teach yourself like I did. You don't have to rely entirely on your instructor. There tons of good courses on the internet.

[@seitakikindadumb]

finishing a challenge feels so good

[@luiscadena6369]

Being afraid of programming on your first days because you don't know something is like a doctor being afraid of doing open heart surgery on a patient after only a week of college. (The good thing is you can't hurt the computer so you can start practicing open heart surgery on you first day. :)

[@filthyE]

Amazing comment. Thank you for sharing this. I needed it.

[@vipatron]

Remember: just don’t commit to master!

[@justsomerandomdude2415]

totally

[@SiRexable]

Nice analogy I love it

[@SiRexable]

@Jose Protacio shut your mouth bro if you don't like it don't comment he gave nice analogy

[@WebDevSimplified]

To me the hardest part about learning programming was the switch in mindset and thinking that programming takes. You need to switch your mindset to think like a computer, because you are writing code for a computer. Once I switched my mind to think in a purely logical state it became much easier to learn programming.

[@AndySterkowitz]

Yeah I see what you mean. It's hard to understand the concept that "computers are dumb" in the beginning but it really is something you begin to grasp over time. It will simply execute whatever you give it and thus you have to break everything down logically to the smallest step.

[@WebDevSimplified]

@@AndySterkowitz That is so true. I never realized just how dumb computers were until I started programming. If you forget a single semi-colon anywhere, your entire application can come crashing down and that is incredibly frustrating.

[@miljanmiljanovic487]

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step... - Keep in mind :)

[@AndySterkowitz]

Exactly

[@hereb4theend]

Till you reach a step that says goto step 1 😂

[@macbookpro4032]

But i begin with a single step and stay there forever cuz its so friking hard

[@joebender9052]

Multiple 10-minute blocks of meditation spaced out evenly through the day is what has helped me the most in learning to program.

[@androids-do-dream]

Second that. Meditation can really help you take a step back and focus on what you need to do. This also applies to similar things like solving mathematical problems.

[@Letsallparty2]

Elaborate a little more pls

[@razzlfraz]

That or walking. imho 20min is the minimum duration to hit a sweet spot. ymmv ofc.

[@wakinglife7355]

More I code I feel I'm meditating with it

[@xerxes5785]

One thing that I’ve learnt after long time of coding and overall in my life; is That Anything That Worth it, Is Hard.

[@AndySterkowitz]

Definitely. If it was easy, everybody would be doing it and there wouldn't be as much value in doing it.

[@Noob-nc5jq]

I’m amazed you still have this much hair doing programming.

[@lukalukunic2820]

😅😅😂😂😂

[@abbasiabbasi3311]

Lol

[@wakinglife7355]

It's a wig

[@shreyaskashyap7576]

great message but he is free from frustration and day and night job as he is an freelancer that's the only reason he is enjoying at his best and comfortable to work as soon as you land in big companies then get ready with health issues and getting bald.

[@FirstLast-gk6lg]

I started an 8am-5pm Mon-Fri online coding course 3 months ago. I have never put so much effort into something to learn so little, most days it feels like catching smoke with your bare hands. This course is 9 months long, so excited to get through it and have the knowledge and enter the industry. I want to learn everything!

[@zachgarber9450]

If you're struggling you're making progress. Also think like a computer it helps

[@Ace1King1]

0100 1001 0010 0000 0110 0100 0110 1111 0010 0001

[@daniilbarinov9771]

0010 0110 0001 0010 0111 0110

[@KMMOS1]

Computers can't think. They just respond to lists of orders to flip switches to the other position, as knocking over a domino or setting it up again. The computer's advantage is that it does this very quickly. The human skill is in creating the lists of orders, the execution of which gives the illusion the computer is doing something useful or even intelligent. The usual difficulty in accomplishing the list creation is that the many levels of abstraction from bit flipping in the machine to a productive human-computer interface are difficult to comprehend overall, and to manage effectively at an optimal detail level to be productive personally and computationally. A good book that tells the story from machine code to beginning C programming is Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware, by Charles Petzold. He wrote lots of early Windows programming texts, but this book teaches the elementary hardware to software transition for anyone who can read at a (junior) high school level of abstraction.

[@naksakimesaw1650]

Thank you for you wonderful statement!! It is true that when you struggle, you are making progress.. this is true

[@guitarman813]

Whenever learning programming (or a new skill for that matter), you need to be persistent and resilient. I am a firm believer that failure is a huge part of success. Therefore you must go through the pain and agony of failure in order to achieve the desired result. Focus on progress, not perfection. Since I have personally been programming, I have developed a stronger mindset when undertaking software development as well as other general life tasks. Because I haven't quit at software development when times get hard, I haven't quit at other things too. I hope to continue to make the good progress that I have done over the last few months. A very good and useful video once again Andy. Keep these coming!

[@AboveDaGrim]

Wow man! You sound like a true friend with real advice. You're appreciated! Much Thanks.

[@leeyad6019]

Daaaaaaaamn, this hit me square in the chest Andy! Saving this to listen to while on my coding journey. I needed to hear this!

[@RsZ789]

Hey Andy, just wanted to thank you for all the helpful advice you give and for not putting annoying intros and bumpers in your videos by just getting straight into it.

[@ZdenoMucina]

so true..:) I've been studying just for a few months but I can already see how much it has improved my way of thinking about a lot of things.... I think it's definitely a great thing to learn if you work in any field..

[@patryk9806]

Thank you Andy, this video is that missing small piece of puzzle that I needed to return to learning programming, you can't imagine how much valuable it is for me in this difficult moment of my life when I almost returned to my bad habits, wasting time on games, parties and again feeling like I don't know what I live for. Thanks to you I want to be better version of my self and I believe that I can do it :)

[@dextercruz7173]

Just the encouragement I needed. I was searching for something that could be like a push for me to go forward then i stumbled upon your video. I'm at this point where i'm about to give up due to my anxieties over work. Thanks for the helpful "push" Andy.

[@ericdavidheredia]

Your videos are key to get me through the tough times and to continue following my lifelong dream of becoming a software dev. Thank you.

[@leonardopsantos]

I'm so glad to hear that you dream of becoming an SW developer! That is so cool! One of the coolest things about SW development is that you can sort of modulate the challenge level. This is a blessing other careers don't have. Imagine if people learned about building houses the way we learn SW development. You don't get to build just the roof or just the doors. You either build the whole house or not. With SW development you can focus on a simple piece of code and learn that. If you don't consider yourself a software developer (why not?!), you can start by contributing to an open source project. Start by trying to solve the easy bugs. I'd be amazed by how many simple bugs take years to get resolved just because no one takes them. Good luck!

[@naksakimesaw1650]

Eric Heredia my ultimate big dream since i was a kid is to be a programmer... I’m afraid as i just started working but i can’t give up my dream .. i will try and cry until i reach success .. no matter what ..

[@shosephiroth]

Amazing video, exactly what I needed to hear today! I will check out those books too!

[@qui3tstorm793]

Thanks great vid and so true about shutting down the negative internal dialogue and negative emotions. Often that's the bigger obstacle than the task itself.

[@christianoropeza38]

Thanks a lot for this video. I really liked how you went into the emotional & mental struggles people face when trying to something complex/difficult. Hope to watch more of ur vids!

[@topaciot]

Love your input. Thank you ☺️

[@Cadi_Dreamer]

Thank you for doing this. I deel with the same kind of problems that you were talking about in this video and this kinda helped me out.

[@mypassportpicsux]

Andy your timing is impeccable! I’m learning to code at 39 and last night I reached a point of self loathing during practice. Thank you for the book recommendations. It’ll help a great deal.

[@Rhine2271]

Same here I'm 34 and trying to learn c# at the moment. Anytime I try to go to any coding challenge website itvmaesvme question why I started this endeavor.

[@snowsnow4231]

@@Rhine2271 well if you live in a third world country programming is your only way not to work for food and go to USA or EU.

[@Rhine2271]

@@snowsnow4231 if that is your situation I wish you the best of luck! I'm not giving up I just get overwhelmed when i go to those sites because ive been learning this for less than a month now.

[@snowsnow4231]

@@Rhine2271 yeah thanks :D Well just try to go step by step, that helped me to learn japanese

[@leonardopsantos]

I'm 42 and I'm also learning to code. And I've been doing this for 20 years now! That's one of the coolest things about being an SW developer, you'll never be out of stuff to learn!

[@salmansulthan3972]

Thanks for the video, Andy. Keep up the good work.

[@runawaygunchannel6085]

I totally needed to hear this!!! Thank you so much sir!!!

[@EH1670]

KZbin recommended this video just at the right time! “Focus on the moment, not the monsters that may or may not be up ahead.” ― Ryan Holiday, The Obstacle Is the Way Love that, thanks for the book tips, definitely going to read them :) (even if I wonder when, since I'm always programming (read: trying to) in my spare time lately) !

[@jasonpauldegraaf]

God bless you, Andy. Going through so much of this right now.

[@developerruhul]

Hey Andy! Just subscribed. Great contents!! I am really pushing it hard to learn front-end development. So you are definitely a great help.

[@iscriptonleague]

Thanks for the book recommendations!

[@RowlandOConnor]

23 years programming and still feel the same😁

[@JASDKA1]

Thanks for sympathizing

[@leonardopsantos]

Same here! Been doing this for 20 years. Now I want to learn functional programming and Erlang.

[@user-qy6tu9ip9v]

@@leonardopsantos Is software really that hard?

[@ronsearch]

@Andy, I subscribed for your honesty. When I see a KZbin thumbnail with a "Programming is easy", I wonder who is the target audience for that channel. I've been improving year after year but I recall when I understood CRUD operations in the backend or even Angular as a whole I suffered to go through the breakthrough and needed an AHA moment.

[@JasonStewart1124]

Thanks, Andy. I needed to hear this.

[@Aaronisification]

This is great. Very real and very encouraging

[@nirajchaudhari3429]

Do appreciate the clearity with which you presented your points, totally relatable 😊

[@Kaas8989]

Hi Andy, thanks so much for your video. This really helped me to create a new mindset. I was feeling quite low because my dad just died and I had to start working again, where I am learning to code. I was very frustrated and feeling stupid because coding the simplest things didn't work out for me. But now I have new courage and more patience which has helped me to get to solutions I would otherwise not have found. Thanks!!

[@bonganishongwe9836]

Thanks for the video!

[@dlyn9413]

Thanks man, this was super spot on for me and super helpful!

[@Dan-rn6xm]

Great and realistic commentary. Wherever you go, there you are. I think that for me I expect to learn this easily and that is the issue ~ going toward the fire is the way to overcome the fear. Knowledge takes sincere and committed work. No short cuts in anything worth learning.

[@mentalmadness9783]

Wow, that was a cold shower but such a good one! Thanks for giving me perspective when I get frustrated. It's literally exactly where my problem is, as soon as something gets a bit complicated I always get complicated and the example with the guitar, boom. That's it!

[@jiahaochen4544]

Great words men! Thanks

[@MrFoxx1304]

Thank you Mr Andy ☺️. After a difficult emotional time in my life you made me self analyse myself and got me back on course ❤️! Emotional frustration or anger push you from what we like the most... And for me its programming. Thanks mate really cant thank you enough!!

[@georgekalokyris]

Wise words Andy! Thank you!

[@AndySterkowitz]

You’re welcome George!

[@carltonpatterson5539]

Amazingly inspirational. Thanks

[@jackswat]

Quite helpful - thank you so much!

[@zosoMM]

Good piece, man. Over the years, there's something I've come to realize about coding. You just slog through it until it's done. Some things will come more and more easily with growing experience, but all developers face challenges with new projects. It's generic advice, but break up the task into smaller, distinct parts, and then start picking them off. I usually try to get the hardest part done first knowing that once I finish that part, the rest of the project should come more easily. The one biggest thing I've only recently gotten better at is writing out a project design strategy before I start writing any code.

[@lisamccormack6542]

This is very relevant to what I am going through at the moment. Great video!

[@ibxnnn376]

i really needed to hear this, thankyou

[@jafetzamudio5285]

Good Tips, sir keep moving forward!

[@evefairytale496]

The most inspiring video on KZbin. Thank you 😊😊

[@afeefkhateeb]

Maybe that is the video I need at the moment thank you so much this channel is awesome

[@lene3667]

This is actually the video I needed right now. Thanks you so much so motivational

[@allesvertig]

what a refresher thanks for motivation

[@ryanhoang7317]

Thanks for the push Andy. It's always difficult in the beginning Lol the journey of becoming a software developer is not easy.

[@shinraholdings7281]

This was a very validating screed lol. Thank you. Needed to hear it.

[@GenerationSalaahudDeen]

I'm going through this. Great pieces of advice.

[@oatscurry]

The amount of abstraction necessary to grasp certain concepts is mind boggling for me, and was even when I was at university. You're right Andy-it doesn't go away. I've quit and come back more than once. But the projects that I'm most passionate about continued to demand software development. There's no other way. Truly, certainly, sitting down and learning how to free-climb this mountain is the only way around it. Meditation over the past year has been truly helpful. Keto, somehow, has been pretty darn helpful too, since I'm not always thinking about food. I've removed every complication in my life just to be able to dedicate the entirety of my day to the task of climbing this mountain. I even have the gear. Thanks for taking a few minutes to remind me that I'm not the only one feeling this is insurmountable. If I persevere, I can get there. Discipline, not necessarily self-motivation, is what keeps us on the path.

[@olganova3058]

I really needed this now Thank you, Andy!

[@AndySterkowitz]

Glad to help Olga!

[@PS-oy9xr]

it's the best explanation across all yt universe about this topic! directly from the heart! thank you so much!

[@SajithJohnSam]

Inspired! Thank you.

[@AndySterkowitz]

Cheers!

[@erebosifavour3760]

Am always inspired by your videos Keep the good work

[@jscorpio1987]

Just what I needed to hear!

[@sukd2669]

Great insights man.

[@Bezlonirslair]

I love this, man! I try to communicate this stuff to people a lot!

[@ArronSealmoyGuitar]

Well Said ! Thanks for wisdom

[@balance4432]

Thanks Andy!

[@JonesDi77]

Very good points.

[@afzalharun8975]

You channel is so underrated. Thanks you for all these helpful videos

[@ivannakos6615]

really nice video and gets exactly to the point... (and not only for programming). a young man here, who is on the fence about it. greetings from Greece! :)

[@Joel-yn2kz]

I’m a student and this man just made me believe myself no one would. Thank you very much ❤️

[@lovesalie]

This was a timely video for me, I've been having trouble getting back into learning over the last 3 months. I kick myself for not doing it. I have the 2nd book you mentioned, I need to take a look at it this week. I do a lot of self reflection and have been trying to learn more about my weaknesses and getting past them. I'm at a pivotal time in my life and I want to come out of this successfully! Thanks again for your videos.

[@bosnianowitzkifan41]

Just keep grinding we're all going to make it one day !

[@leonardopsantos]

You have to realize that programming is like every other skill, you need practice. Programming is very much like learning how to play an instrument. Would you be able to play a Bach sonata on the piano after just 3 months? I sure wouldn't! Same thing here. And sometimes it's not a matter of effort, like putting 8 hours of practice every day for months. OK, that helps. But because programming is a mental activity, sometimes you need time so the problem "sinks in". Sometimes, the best thing is to just stop for a while and go back to the problem a few hours later. I can't count how many bugs I solved while taking a shower! Seymour Cray was famous for digging tunnels. Later he would say that "the elves helmed him solve the problem". Just keep doing it, but don't overkill! PROGRAMMING IS SUPPOSED TO BE FUN!!!!!

[@da_7402]

Thank you Andy.

[@benjaminvancleave2310]

Insightful, I always come to problems as an intermediate programmer. I just remind myself that I will solve it, like other programming problems before it! And with the thought that I know I can do it keeps me going!

[@valdius85]

Good camera setup. Easy to see the difference. Thank you for investing in a camera - I really appreciate that especially that you provide good content. Also, no music is very good.

[@cinakakar197]

Thank you brother Love it

[@DeGrzym]

One of the best examples of looking in a positive way at inherintly negative things I have encountered. Sometimes shifting perspective can seve your life. Kudos!

[@zaat9898]

I’m in school learning programming and recently struggling, thanks for the motivation!

[@Letsallparty2]

This video came into my life, at the very best moment! Thank you sir.

[@tiagotaquelim1776]

Oh man thank you the advice and for the books. Actually I am emotial unstable but with programming oddly enought that rarely happens.

[@brendant.4493]

You would do well as a sponsor in a twelve step program. I heard a lot of sayings from the rooms. Thanks for your information and hard work helping other people. It’s helped me so much.

[@aesthetik_e]

I don't usually comment on videos on KZbin but this one is so powerful, I have to. Very well said bro.

[@rujalacharya6789]

I've just started learning programming for 2 months maybe. I have found the ideas difficult to grasp for the past few days and am terribly frustrated for some days. I was in need of motivation like this. Thanks a lot. Now I will take a break, refresh and work harder. Thanks a lot from the bottom of my heart.

[@devyoma]

Thank you Mr Andy :)

[@soroush1984]

Thank you for your advice, I was really frustrated!

[@JonathanRintala]

Great video!

[@abhishektyagi4428]

Thanks a lot for providing the names of some good books

[@JordanTaylorVideos]

Loved this video, man.

[@diastrus1236]

I needed this, thanks! Also, Emotional Intelligence 2.0 is a great read. Keep the vids coming!

[@anthonyswift390]

Interesting video. I have been learning to program myself for just over a year and I can completely relate to alot of things you have said. Getting frustrated is very common in something like this especially if you can't see yourself making progress and feel like you are always failing. I believe as humans we get so locked into seeing ourselves as failures if we haven't acheived it all but sometimes we forget that all these small steps we take really matter, they shape our future career and projects and are something to be proud of. So I have switched the way I think about failing. When I started learning to code I would beat myself up every time I couldnt solve a problem. But now I look at failing as a positive thing. Anyone who takes the time to really solve a coding problem and really tries to solve it, no matter how many times you fail just remember you are LEARNING and if you keep trying and have alot of persistance that is the one thing that will set you apart from all the people who just give up and take the easy option. It is is tough. It takes ALOT of practice, it can be mentally exhausting and sometimes can feel very intimidating. But never give up because like Andy has pointed out here you will regret it.I am so glad I didn't give up as learning to code has already started opening up opportunities for me and it can for you too if you just keep going. See every small problem you solve as a positive. Think of it as distance travelled as opposed to thinking only about the main goal and haivng it all. I hope this helps.

[@human3401]

This helped a lot thank you ☺️

[@sophyli3101]

so many similar points with you.good one.

[@CodeCatProgramming]

Very good points

[@deangreenhough3479]

Sound advice 👍

[@meganbennett2126]

I have watched this video 3 times and it has helped thoroughly. The books are on their way! :)

[@meganbennett2126]

Over the past day or two.

[@kinghabz1443]

This was helpful like all your videos thanks.

[@AndySterkowitz]

Thank you! 😊

[@pjguitar15]

Im still an intermediate level in programming world. currently learning coding and aiming to become a developer someday. Sometimes I get really frustrated not understanding a certain lesson no matter how hard I try. It's just annoying. Thank you so much for this video. It kinda helped me somehow with my frustrations

[@ravekid5282]

amazing vids dude

[@AndySterkowitz]

Thanks!

[@tkells5109]

This video helped me more than any software dev video out there.

[@ThatJetstream]

This is exactly what I needed

[@makemoneyonyoutubewithme]

You changed my life tonight with this video. Exactly what I needed to hear, and I made a big decision.

[@omarsalih5829]

great video thanks