Okay, so I’m not proud of this… but I might be a lazy learner.
Not lazy as in “never gets stuff done”. I’m a developer, deadlines breathe down my neck like unpaid e-tolls. I mean lazy as in, I’m allergic to doing more than I need to. So when I need to learn a new programming language, you won’t find me buried in 600-page textbooks or going on a 40-hour Udemy pilgrimage. No. What you will find is me on YouTube at 1.5x speed, watching a guy named Kevin build a to-do app in a language I’ve never touched, while I whisper, “Okay, okay… I see you, Kevin.”
If that makes me lazy, then so be it. But it works. And here’s how.
Step 1: The YouTube Crash Course
I start with the “Learn [X language] in 15 minutes” videos. Do I actually learn the language in 15 minutes? No. But it gives me a vibe check. Is the syntax cute? Do I like the brackets? Does it remind me too much of Java?
This step is vibes only.
If I’m intrigued, I move to crash courses. Anything under 2 hours. I don’t care if it’s comprehensive, I just want the gist. I want the syntax, the structure, and the “Hello, World” in whatever accent the compiler speaks.
Bonus Tip: Search for “[Language] crash course for busy devs” or “zero to hero in 60 mins.” Real ones know.
Step 2: Steal like an artist
Then comes the heist. I open GitHub and start peeking at other people’s code. And by “peek,” I mean shamelessly copy and paste. I look at how other folks solve problems, especially things I’ve done in other languages; login forms, CRUD operations, HTTP requests.
I treat GitHub like a buffet. I’m not trying to learn how to cook, I’m just here for a plate.
Reading other people’s code is low-effort, high-yield. It’s like osmosis learning, but with curly braces.
Step 3: Build Something Small and Dumb
This is where the magic happens. I build something; tiny, ridiculous, borderline useless.
One time, I learned Python by making a program that checks the quality of code for an assignment (in case I forgot to add comments somewhere important, or if my naming did not make any sense at all). Did I keep using it? No. But I learned about loops, conditionals, and timers. That’s all that mattered.
The key isn’t building something grand, it’s building something that actually runs. Once you hit that sweet console.log or get a “200 OK” from an API, your brain will throw a party (and you will definitely feel like you’re levitating).
Step 4: Google. A Lot.
I don’t know how to explain this, but 70% of learning a new language is just learning how to Google better. I’ll type things like:
- “how to sort array in [insert language]”
- “why does my [insert language] loop hate me”
- “[insert language] version of async/await please help”
Google is my senior dev. StackOverflow is my mentor. Reddit is my therapist.
Step 5: Teach it to Someone (Even if It’s Just a Plant)
Once I feel semi-confident, I try to teach it. Sometimes to a friend, sometimes to a rubber duck, and once, to my pot plant Arizona. Teaching forces me to articulate concepts I was previously hand-waving. And Arizona doesn’t judge, which is a plus.
I used to think being a good dev meant mastering everything from scratch. But now I know; the real flex is knowing how to learn, and not wasting time pretending to be a computer science monk.
So yes, I’m lazy. But I’m also efficient. And honestly? That’s a superpower.
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Days in the Life of Mo 
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