"How you get on?" is a common question in the black community; asked by someone interested in how an opportunity, or job, was given to the person questioned. 'How you get on?" signifies to the receiver that not only are they not expected to be in the job, or position, they are in; but also that the position itself is particularly difficult to obtain with the known resources the person has. The answer is often daunting to the questioner; however, because the person for whom they have asked has achieved 'getting on', their ability to do the same is marked by 'game', 'the play', or 'the move'. And, while the rule may be, "the game is sold, not told", let me take a moment to give 'the play' on how to be a web developer without a CS Degree.
Mentally Prepared
"Rule Numero Uno, never let no one know"(Wallace, 1996-1997). It's important to recognize in the beginning that you probably do not have any friends in the tech world except the person who is 'putting you on to game'; and, while that person knows that becoming a web developer is not impossible, the people around you may not believe the same to be true. You'll need to be mentally prepared for negative reinforcement from family and friends who expect the familiar from you, and are only familiar with the stereotypes of the tech world- which does not align with the person they know. Simply put, you don't want any demotivators as you move to the next step. With that said, maybe a look at Biggie's 7th Crack Commandment would be more fitting.
How to Study
The 'how' to study is just as important as the 'what' to study. But before looking at how to study, let me say, you don't need a bootcamp! If you know that disciplining yourself to study alone is difficult, and believe a bootcamp to be the solution, then you will not succeed as a developer. Much of your job will require you to self-study. Allow yourself to experience what the job would be like by allotting 2-3 hours each day of self-study. Yes, you work full-time! Yes, you have kids! Yes, and yes for any other reason that 2-3 hours is too much. Now that you have identified those things, ask yourself can you self-study during your lunch break? Can you listen to a tech podcast in the car? By maximizing your idle time, you should only need about 30 minutes of scheduled downtime from work and family priorities. Finally, be sure to be consistent: the information is likely entirely new, and daily interaction with the programming language you learn is key to retaining the new knowledge you're attempting to acquire.
What to Study
At this point, I should point out that other blogs would probably tell you to choose the programming language that interests you. That you should decide if you want to be a full-stack, frontend, or backend developer. I agree with that advice from my current vantage point as a software engineer; however, three yeas ago when I got 'the move' from a friend, I didn't know enough about web development to make such choices. I simply did what he did, because he had got on. I imagine if you've read this far, you're not looking for a cookie-cutter answer such as the one above; but you want the play!
Peep game:
Checkout Havard's(Boston accent or typo- not sure at this point) CS50 course and complete it in its entirety. The course will give you all the foundational knowledge you'll need to understand what it means to be a programmer, think algorithmically, and is very easy to follow.
Choose between Python and JavaScript as a programming language. CS50 will introduce both. Choose the language that is easiest for you to follow. You can always learn another language later. Follow the same logic when choosing a framework.
YouTube search Mosh Hamedani or Brad Traversy and complete any "Full Course" tutorials they offer on YouTube about your programming language. There is a lot of free content on learning programming languages on YouTube. To avoid dealing with programmers turned influencers, meaning viewing content that may detract from what you're there to learn, stick to these names.
Create a Github account. Start using their codespace to write code. It's time to start "coding receipts". You'll never be "Christmas tree green" without it.
Turn all tutorial projects into your own personal projects. Recode them. Redesign them. Add to them. Make them your own. You'll need the practice, and you'll need the projects. While doing so, be thinking about a large-scale coding project that you'll write entirely from scratch.
CODE THAT PROJECT!
"This rule is so underrated. Keep your family and business completely separated" (Wallace, 1996-1997).
Create a portfolio website. Use a template, or flex your coding skills- it's up to you.
Make developer friends in the same way you make friends. Go to tech events. Be in tech places.
Start your job search, prepare for rejection, and grind it out. The last part is vital. You have proven to yourself that you can be a developer; but, at this point it hasn't been proven to the job market. Make them respect the hustle! Or... start your tech company.
You've gotten the move, the play, and all the game needed to move forward. The hardest part is not starting, but finishing. So many people get started in learning web development, but never make it beyond step 1. Just remember, if he can do it, and she can do it, you're 9 steps away from doing it too.