Jonathan Blow on the algorithm for becoming a great programmer

Key strategies / advice from the subtitles

• Use an “enjoyment + challenge” selection rule

  • Pick programming projects you think you’d actually enjoy.
  • Choose something challenging, but not so hard that you couldn’t finish it.

• Build skill through repetition (iterative practice)

  • After finishing/working through a project:
    • Learn from what was difficult.
    • Repeat the process: pick the next slightly-challenging, enjoyable thing to build.

• Do projects that force real learning

  • Example mindset: even if you haven’t done much in a domain before, you can get better by attempting ambitious-but-manageable technical work (e.g., building a game engine).

• Track your own beliefs and update them

  • During each attempt, notice:
    • What you believed would work at the beginning.
    • Which beliefs turned out true/helpful.
    • Which beliefs were false/distracting, leading to “mess.”
  • Use that feedback to improve your approach next time.

Productivity / growth algorithm (as described)

1. Think of programming tasks you’d enjoy.
2. Choose one that’s challenging but doable.
3. Work on it (expect it to be a bit harder than you thought).
4. Observe what beliefs helped vs. hurt.
5. Learn and then pick the next similar project.
6. Repeat until you get “good” quickly.

Presenters / sources

• Jonathan Blow (speaker)