What’s the Best Way to Start Coding in 2025?

Absolutely, coding is like any other skill—you learn by practicing and fetching info online, from books, or teachers, then practicing some more. Your idea of starting with a simple goal is spot on! I remember way back when I started by learning to move a character sprite on my Commodore 64. Progressively I applied what I learned to more complex projects.

Tutorials are great for grasping the basics. Once you’ve set up your environment and learned basic syntax, focus on building your own projects. Just keep pushing until you hit a wall—then figure out how to overcome that obstacle. Remember, your first code might not be perfect, but that's a normal part of the learning curve!

I’d say just dive in and start building! Watch a tutorial or read a bit, then try it out right away. For your chess project, begin by getting one piece to move first, then gradually add more features. It's fine to copy examples at the beginning, but make sure to tweak them so you understand what’s happening behind the scenes!

Consider checking out beginner-friendly books or resources that teach a programming language along with general programming principles. "Programming Practices and Principles using C++" by Bjarne Stroustrup is a great option. Afterward, try building something simple yet cool, and then keep challenging yourself with new projects.

I’d say most YouTube tutorials aren’t the best way to learn. They can be too surface-level and might not provide the depth you'll need. Look for structured courses or bootcamps instead that offer a more thorough educational experience.