About Mikke Goes Coding
Hi there! I’m Mikke, the creator of Mikke Goes Coding. I’m fully self-taught and still learning more about tech, building websites as a self-employed web developer.
Here’s why:
I believe in making education accessible and affordable to everyone. It’s my mission to help you find the best learning resources out there.
I’ve gone through a bunch of ups and downs along the way, and my goal is to help you learn tech skills faster than I ever did.
If you’re just getting started with coding and you are interested in launching a career in tech, you’re in the right place!
Learning to code has changed my life completely and I know it can do the same for you, too. Since I began learning tech skills, I’ve been able to make money and gain full control over how I live my life.
But first and foremost: it has given me the chance to spend more time with my family and friends.
I decide how I spend my days, when I get up, where I work, and who I spend my time with. In short: I get to do what I love and it gives me the ultimate freedom and flexibility in life.
But all of this started just a few years back…
Building my career – where it all started
Let’s get one thing straight here: I never planned any of this tech stuff to happen.
I always thought I’d find my calling somewhere in the 9-to-5 corporate world. About 6-7 years ago, I landed an amazing job as an Analyst in aviation.
I got the chance to move abroad and use my skills in and passion for economics and statistics. I really thought that was the perfect stepping stone to build a solid, international career in the aviation industry.
But I wasn’t feeling 100% happy with everything.
I started thinking how insane it was to spend half of my day at an office, day in and day out. Going through mass emails, sitting in meetings, and doing repetitive work just seemed unfulfilling. It just felt like such a waste of time.
Was this the life I wanted to lead for 30-40 more years?
Getting in touch with coding for the first time
Coding or tech was never something I thought I’d end up working with. It had never even occurred to me that I could just switch careers by learning new skills by myself. I mean, normally you’d go to college and spend at least 3-4 years studying, right?
But by the chance of luck, things changed pretty much overnight.
While working full-time, my team came across a spreadsheet problem that we couldn’t solve. We needed someone who knew how to code.
Yet, it wasn’t a big issue or anything, but I thought: If a human being can learn how to solve this, why couldn’t I just as well do it myself?
So, while feeling dissatisfied with my job, I started looking into coding.
It was like a whole new world opening up to me that I had never explored before.
I mean, I didn’t even know what HTML and CSS meant. And hey, if they’re new to you, don’t worry – I was at that same spot not too long ago!
The more I read about coding the more intrigued I felt. I was so keen on solving that problem at work that I just wanted to find out how the heck this whole thing works.
And yes, I’m generally a very solution-oriented person, but not to the point where I’m sitting at my computer at 4am still browsing through blogs, articles, and discussion threads looking for answers.
And just like that, I was hooked right away.
The funniest part was that I was feeling completely confused by everything. Wherever I looked, I saw an acronym. HTML, CSS, JS, PHP, CMS, DOM, CS, CLI, MOOC, STEM, etc… And every time I read what it meant, I bumped into the next one. But I still loved every minute of it!
I was soon spending a scary big share of my free time learning more about coding and web development. But what was I going to do with the skills in the long run?
Learning to code opens doors to new jobs and financial freedom
Wherever you look these days, you see something tech-related around you. Computers and code are everywhere and the industry is booming.
There used to be a time when a small business could do fine without a website. But those days are long gone.
Everyone who wants to build a business or create a brand needs to go online. Thus, the demand for skilled web developers is increasing much faster than the average for all other jobs.
Needless to say, high demand usually means relatively high salaries, too.
The job market for web developers is more lucrative than most other industries out there.
The best part?
You can launch a career in tech without spending 3-4 years in college to get a degree.
To be honest, I think that’s the beauty of it all. Every web developer you meet has a different background and story to tell. The sheer diversity makes this industry so fascinating!
When it comes to salaries, learning to code help you grow your income, too.
There’s a lot of variance in salaries across the U.S, but according to Glassdoor, Junior Web Developers can expect an average salary of about $72,653 per year.
Depending you specialization, location, and skill level, average annual salaries can quickly rise over the $100K mark.
Summing it up: you can learn a profession without going to college by teaching yourself AND increase your income level. What’s not to love about it?
But how can you get started? How much does it cost to learn coding from scratch?
My first coding lessons were free HTML and Python tutorials on Codecademy.
When I started, I was 100% clueless about what I was doing.
But before long, I started to get the hand of it with this great Python book.
Yet, one book and a few online tutorials wouldn’t be enough to help me launch a freelancing career.
Where should you start learning to code?
When you start learning to code, you have a lot on your plate. The tech field is so vast and there’s so much cryptic terminology to understand. It can quickly start to feel overwhelming and even a tad scary.
The biggest problem is this: it’s difficult to know where to start, right?
Which online course is the best for beginners? What books should you read and study?
When are you ready to build your first website? Should you build a portfolio right away?
When can you start applying for your first small freelance gigs?
And most importantly: which programming language should you learn??
I remember sometimes feeling like I was trying to cross an endless swamp, sinking deeper with every step tried to take.
The good news is: I tried and tested a ton of learning resources along the way. And I’m not shy about sharing the ones that I achieved the best results with.
Here’s a handful of my all-time favorite websites to learn coding and web development for beginners:
Of course, you’ll find tons of further sites online.
Here’s an article I wrote that’s packed with the best online coding websites.
Where was all of this going?
A few months into learning the basics of coding, I started feeling confused. I had a lot of fun but I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with the skills I was learning.
What did I want to do in the future?
Why was I still working full-time if I was so passionate about coding?
At work, everything I could talk about with my colleagues was how cool coding was. (Sorry for that, guys!)
But the first thing everyone told me was this:
“Coding? Cool! You can make a ton of money as a developer!”
My reply was always a more or less awkward smile. I wasn’t learning all of it for money!
I never even thought I could learn it well enough to have people hire me. That was the last thing on my mind.
But hearing the same thing day in and day out slowly opened my eyes.
Maybe this was the start of something great for my career after all?
I couldn’t ignore what everyone was saying, so I started doing some research.
Would it be possible to start a side gig as a freelance web developer at some point?
And it hit me one day: If I wanted to become happy by doing something I really enjoyed, I needed to quit my job.
At that time, I already knew I wanted to start building websites for clients.
Slowly but surely, I was making my way through a beginner-level web dev course while building simple mockup websites for practice.
Giving back to the community
While I was learning, I found an amazing community of other developers and students online.
They were always there for me whenever I was having a hard time and didn’t know what to do. And they helped me through some rough patches where I would normally just turn back and quit.
The help I received was just priceless. I felt like I wanted to give something back to the community.
That’s when Mikke Goes Coding and the Free Coding Guide were born.
(And yes, I know the name doesn’t make any sense. But who cares!)
I wanted to help others who were going through a similar learning journey.
And even though I was just a beginner myself, I could share what I knew and help someone who was just one step behind me.
That’s my goal with this site. I want you to feel just as empowered as I did when I started learning coding and web dev skills.
And yes, the blog is a one-man show, 100%. It’s not my full-time job, but I do it because I know how much even the simplest tips and learning strategies can help when you’re just getting started.
In short: I was you not long ago. And I know how difficult it might feel to know where to start learning.
Why I created MikkeGoes.com
This website and blog is here to help you start a new chapter in your life. Learning tech skills turned my life around for good – for the better.
I was in your shoes not long ago. So I know you can achieve what I have, but much faster than I did.
I’ll help you figure out what skills you should learn and share my top learning resources with you. Along the way, I’ll show you how you can use those skills to improve your life through absolute freedom and financial security.
You’ll be able to use your time doing things you really care about while having more time to enjoy with people you care for.
We all should be able to enjoy every day doing what we love. And it doesn’t need to be anything fancy. I spend a lot of my time just cooking, biking around town, hiking in nature, or eating cake with friends.
So, whether you want to start a side gig, become a digital nomad and travel around the world, or just build a solid foundation for taking care of your family, I’m here to help you out.
I mean, if I could do it without the slightest hint of a plan or a strategy, so can you.
Free guides for learning to code for beginners
Ready to get started? Let’s jump right in, then!
If you’re completely new to coding and web development, check out these articles:
- 8 Things to Know Before Learning Programming
- The Best Way to Learn Coding for Beginners
- What Programming Language Should I Learn?
- 14 Popular Programming Languages Explained for Beginners
If you’re looking for the best websites and courses to learn coding, here’s where you should start:
- The Best Websites to Learn Coding and Web Development (With No Experience)
- 8 Awesome Websites to Learn Coding for Free
- Recommended Coding Courses for Beginners by Topic
And if you’re ready to start building a career in tech, here are a few helpful posts for you:
- How to Make Money Coding? 12 Ways to Make Money as a Developer
- How to Become a Web Developer? FAQ on Careers, Skills, and Salaries
- Web Developer Salary: How Much Do Web Developers Make?
- How to Become a Freelance Web Developer: The Ultimate Guide
If there’s one super helpful tip I can give, this is it:
Always have fun with it! And always know what your goals are! Ok sorry, that’s two tips…
I mean, if you don’t have a clear goal, how can you know if you’re headed in the right direction, right?
With that being said, I’m looking forward to seeing how your coding journey turns out! Drop me a line on Twitter @mikkegoes, I’d love to hear from you!
Good luck, happy coding, and catch you soon!
– Mikke