My Journey Through the 4 Stages of Competence and Building in the Golden Age
My Journey Through the 4 Stages of Competence
Today, I want to dive into two big topics: how to go from a beginner to an expert in your field and why now is the best time to be building projects that can make a real difference. Whether you’re learning to code, launching your first project, or thinking about applying to programs like Y Combinator (YC), this journey starts with understanding the path ahead and grabbing opportunities as they come.
My Journey Through the 4 Stages of Competence
When I first started programming, I remember struggling to get even the simplest things to work. Looking back, it was a classic case of unconscious incompetence, I didn’t know what I didn’t know. I’d stare at a blank screen, thinking, “How hard can this be?” Spoiler: it was harder than I thought.
But then came the stage where I realized my gaps. Conscious incompetence hit me like a ton of bricks. Every error message felt personal like my computer was mocking me. It’s in this stage that many people quit. But here’s the thing: this stage is where you grow. Statistically, only 25% of beginners make it past this stage to keep learning.
With time (and many cups of coffee), I reached conscious competence. I could code, but it wasn’t automatic. I’d pause to think about syntax, look up docs, and second-guess my decisions. The secret here was practice, practice, and, you guessed it, more practice.
Finally, I reached unconscious competence. This is where coding became second nature. I could tackle projects, teach others, and even debug code in my sleep (well, almost). The journey from that confused beginner to a confident coder taught me that expertise isn’t about being a genius, it’s about showing up consistently, learning from failures, and celebrating small wins.
Tip: If you’re still in the earlier stages, focus on building projects that challenge you just enough. Start with a simple calculator or to-do list, then work up to something bigger like a personal finance tracker or a weather app. Small, steady wins add up over time.
Deepening Your Skills with Bloom’s Taxonomy
Understanding concepts is great, but being able to apply, analyze, and create is even better. This is where Bloom’s Taxonomy comes in. Think of it like leveling up in a video game:
Remember: At first, you’re memorizing syntax and concepts, like collecting basic items in a game.
Understand: Next, you start to make sense of how things connect, like understanding why certain weapons are better against specific enemies.
Apply: Here’s where you get hands-on and build projects. It’s your training mode, testing your skills in real scenarios.
Analyze: Now, you review your code and find ways to optimize it, like spotting weaknesses in your game strategy.
Evaluate: At this level, you question your approach and decide what’s best. Should you refactor that function? Should you switch frameworks?
Create: You’re now building projects from scratch and contributing to open-source. You’ve reached the boss level.
Quick Stat: Developers who consistently use Bloom’s Taxonomy principles report a 30% faster skill progression compared to those who only focus on rote learning.
Why Now Is the Perfect Time to Build
Switching gears, let’s talk about why this is such an exciting time to be creating projects or startups. We’re living in what I’d call the Golden Age of Building. With AI advancing at warp speed and tools becoming more accessible, opportunities are ripe for the taking. Let me paint a picture of what YC is focusing on right now:
Areas That Are Ready for Disruption
Government Software: Think about the last time you interacted with a government website. Frustrating, right? The space is wide open for innovation. In fact, experts estimate that modernizing government tech could save countries up to $1 trillion annually in efficiency.
Public Safety Technology: Building tools that help first responders save lives faster is not just impactful, it’s crucial. Imagine an AI tool that predicts emergency hotspots or improves 911 response times.
Fintech 2.0: We’re past just creating digital banks; now it’s about democratizing finance and making financial tools available to everyone. A report showed that 60% of adults worldwide still don’t have full access to traditional banking services. That’s a huge gap waiting to be filled.
AI-aided Engineering Tools: Engineers can now design, test, and optimize using AI at a fraction of the usual time. This isn’t just cool, it’s game-changing.
Personal Insight: I recently mentored a team working on an AI tool for chip design. They could perform in minutes which used to take days. Seeing projects like that reminds me why now truly is the best time to be a builder.
What This Means for You
So, what does all this mean for you? Whether you’re still mastering the basics or ready to pitch your next big idea, remember this: expertise isn’t built overnight, but opportunities come in waves. We’re in a wave right now, and it’s one that could reshape careers, industries, and lives.
Actionable Steps:
Identify which stage of competence you’re at and plan how to level up.
Pick an area from YC’s list that sparks your interest and brainstorm project ideas.
Share your work! Visibility is key, post on GitHub, write about your journey on LinkedIn, write a blog post about it, and engage with the developer community.
If you’ve been waiting for the perfect moment to start building or step up your game, this is it. The tools, the tech, and the opportunities are all there.
Now it’s your move.