After being inspired by reading about the single founder who can’t code, the possibility (through hard work and grit) of becoming a DIY technical co-founder, and realizing there’s no better way to learn than to dive straight in, learning how to code has become one of my top focuses for this year.

To say that I’m only now interested to learn how to code now would be a mistake. My research last year on the role of innovation in emerging markets, my involvement with GEN, and my interests in entrepreneurship and economic development were all leading me to believe with conviction that I needed to learn how to code. I’m calling this new endeavor: Project Tech. I’ve divided my plan into stages, each time-boxed and defined by a purpose and end outcome:

Obviously, everything in here is just a way for me to get introduced to all these programming languages. No way would I be able to reach a level of competency in all these languages in a couple weeks – far from it. The main thing at this point is really to discover and get better at doing something new.

At the heart of my desire to learn how to code is one thing: creation. The ability to create something that can potentially change the lives of others absolutely enamors me. Technology has been and will continue to be a game changer for society. As much as I love research, I want to be a part of this movement. After plugging away at this plan consistently for the past two months, I hope that my enthusiasm to code continues in the weeks and months ahead. Wish me luck!