How do you learn large projects/software development not just programming?

Thank you for reading my latest article "How do you learn large projects/software development not just programming?" Here at LinkedIn and at Zeonsoft I regularly write about technology, AI, management, software engineering and entrepreneurship.

To read my future articles simply join my network by clicking 'Follow'. Also feel free to connect with me via X, YouTube.

Last month at the end of the semester, a determined student approached me with a question that many budding developers struggle with:

"How do I learn large projects and software development, not just programming?"

I could see the frustration in their eyes—while they could code in Python, JavaScript, or Java with confidence, the labyrinth of real-world projects, with all its build tools, dependency management, and shifting requirements, seemed overwhelming.

I invited them to sit down, and I began to explain my approach, drawing from my own journey of learning through trial and error.

The Reality of Hands-On Experience

"Listen," I started, "there's no magic guidebook to mastering large-scale software development. It’s a lot like learning to ride a bike—you have to get on, fall a few times, and learn how to balance along the way. Internships are invaluable here, but I understand not everyone has that opportunity right out of the gate. So, if you're on your own, brace yourself for a long but rewarding ride."

Incremental Growth Is Key

I continued, "You need to build your experience gradually. Start with a small project—something manageable—and then slowly stretch its boundaries. Think of it like this: don’t try to drink an entire ocean at once. Instead, sip from a river, then a lake, and eventually you'll be ready for the sea."

"Many newcomers make the mistake of diving into the deep end—trying to learn every advanced tool and pattern at once. They expect to grasp everything instantly, like a firehose of information. But here's the thing: you can’t understand a complex system all at once. Each part of a project is interconnected. You won't fully grasp why a particular tool is necessary until you've wrestled with the problem it solves."

Learning Through the Pain of Manual Work

"Take build tools like Maven, Gradle, or Docker, for example. You'll never really appreciate their value until you've spent hours, maybe even days, doing things manually. Once you've experienced that frustration, the time you invest in learning these tools will pay off exponentially. It might take dozens of hours to learn them properly, but trust me—those hours will save you hundreds in the long run."

A Progressive Path Forward

"If you're working independently, my advice is to keep expanding your projects gradually. Build something small, then, when you start feeling the strain of managing it, introduce a new tool or technique to ease that burden. Each time your project grows to the point where you're pulling your hair out and wishing for a better solution, that's a sign you're ready for a new piece of the puzzle."

"Remember: slow is smooth, and smooth is fast. The process of growing your skills is a marathon, not a sprint. Every project you build, every tool you learn, and every mistake you make is a stepping stone toward understanding how large-scale projects come together."

The Long Road Ahead

I concluded with a smile, "Be patient and persistent. It will take hundreds of hours to become proficient in all the tools and practices needed for large projects, but that's part of the journey. Spread your learning out, and don't be discouraged by the slow pace. Each step, however small, is progress."

The student left with a newfound perspective, ready to embrace the challenge—one incremental project at a time. And I hoped they understood that while the road to mastering large-scale software development is long and sometimes painful, it is also incredibly rewarding.

#SoftwareDevelopment #SoftwareEngineering #Programming #RealWorldCoding #LearningByDoing #TechCareers #CareerGrowth #ProjectManagement #DevJourney #ContinuousLearning #BuildingProjects #TechCommunity #FutureOfWork #Innovation