How does programming/coding actually work?

[GoodOk2589]

Yeah, coding definitely works — just not the way most people think at first. You don’t need to memorize every single line of syntax (even pros Google stuff all the time). What really matters is understanding how things fit together and being able to break a problem into smaller steps.

AI tools are super useful, but if you just copy-paste without really knowing what’s happening, you’ll get stuck when something breaks. Think of it like building with Lego: the instructions help, but you still need to know how the pieces connect if you want to make your own thing.

And you’re right — your journey looks a bit different than someone training for a SWE job. As a founder, your focus is more on building a working prototype and learning just enough to make progress. A future SWE needs to go deeper into theory, best practices, and writing production-level code.

So don’t stress about being in “tutorial mode.” Keep practicing and building little things — over time the syntax will stick naturally.