Three years ago I know nothing about programming, I will come to the programming section of Nairaland everyday
and read every topic and every comments. My biggest dream then was to be a computer programmer, even though
I was getting inspiration and constantly getting motivated by the programmers on Nairaland, I was procrastinating
because my beliefs was that I will go to either NIIT or Aptech to study. I was actively doing crude oil business
everyday doing it with all my mind, body and spirit working very hard trying to close a deal so that I can raise enough
money to start my programming career.

In crude oil business I rose to unbelievable heights... It came to a point where my crude oil website was ranking number
1 on google worldwide! I had real time sellers of bonny light crude oil and clients from all over the world calling me
24hours round the clock, every now and then most of them spending about 20-30minutes on phone, discussing oil
transactions. TTO this, TTT that...2 million barrels of crude oil, Fob, Blco, flco, forcados, SPA, CIF were my daily
terminologies, I was always on the verge of hitting it big! But that business dealt with me beyond explanation. To cut the
long story short, I never made a dime in this business after 2 complete years of absolute hardwork on a daily basis, going
to meetings at big hotels and other prestige locations, skype, spending money of phone calls and internet.

Towards ending of 2011 I promised my self that I will continue with the patience, perseverance and determination but if I
couldn't close a deal by 31st December 2011, I will start my darling programming on the 1st January 2012 as my new year
resolution. That's how I started learning programming on the 1st day of January 2012, after reading a post made by a
nairaland programmer where he linked to an article explaining how the some of the best programmers in the world are
self-taught programmers. Since I didn't have the funds to go to NIIT or Aptech, and upon my intensive research I realize
I can learn on my own and it's better that way, I decide to start from www.w3schools.com because that's the website
everybody was recommending on Nairaland.

I studied HTML, Css, Javascript and PHP on www.w3schools.com then moved to www.homeandlearn.co.uk to study
PHP more. I contacted a friend and a php programmer in the Uk who sent 6 PHP books for me. each and every ebook
is more than 750 pages and I promised my self that I will read all attentively two times each. I read the books one after
the other twice and got a better knowledge and view on programming and PHP as a whole.

After that I went to codeacademy.com and acquainted my self with HTML5, Css3 and Javascript. it was at Codeacamy
I got the concept of OOP and understood it very well when I was learning javascript. Even before I started at codeacademy,
I was very active at phpacademy.org which has the most influence of my programming life! Every day I will download
20-50videos from phpacademy.org and their youtube channel and study. I ended up having more than 2000 videos that
taught be better CSS, PHP procedural programming, OOP and CodeIgniter PHP framework.

Unlike in crude oil business where I suffered without getting a dime for 2years, I programming I got my first contract job
to develop an application worth 200k. A friend got the job, I single handedly did the job and we shared the cash! That's
how I got my first pay in programming precisely on the 1st August 2012, just 7 months of my learning. The rest is history
now I've got several jobs in PHP to the extends that I have to reject many of them because at a certain point in time my
mind was fixed on Android application development.

I was so passionate about Java and Android that I have to forsake PHP and Mysql and concentrate my every energy towards
Java and Android. Before I started Java I was afraid of it but when I started I discovered that java is very interesting and
because I understand OOP very well from PHP and Javascripts, It took me only 4weeks to learn Java and understand it very
well to the extend of moving straight to my darling Android development which is a long time dream come true. I studied
android development and Develop 3 applications, but only published 2 in the google play store. check all my Android apps here https://play.google.com/store/search?q=Gideon%20George .

My very first Android app is the Kokomaster App. The App is an idea implementation I did for Dbanj.
The Kokomaster App (This version is uncompleted ) is an application for D'banj.
Fans can see exclusive pictures, songs , videos and wallpapers, fans can also
upload their pictures and view other people's pictures in 3 different categories
namely 'The craziest', 'Sexiest' and 'The hottest'.

The initial plan was to get Dbanj to sponsor the complete version on all the smartphone Os'es
(Android, iPhone, Windows and BB). I got talking with Dbanj through his awesome manager who was kind to me
in every aspect but along the line when I was about to submit my hardcopy proposal and do some final discussions
on how to make the dream come true, My Laptop crashes and my screen got damage too. I faced hardships,
challenges for good four months before I revived , it's a long story joor...

After that my mission was to build an App that will enable me win the MTN App Challenge but due to numerous
challenges beyond my control, I never get to build the App until it was too late to catch up with the competition
so I came back to PHP! I also got so many Job offers through Nairaland because of my signature and my profile
which is linked to my Twitter handle. I started a PHP Job in Onipanu-Jibowu side as a PHP Programmer and
Mobile developer I did it for a while until challenges came in again...

I build some ideas that never went public, constantly working on something to make my dream a reality...
Lastly my latest product is done and I am releasing it to the general public.

It's my startup, I put alot of hard work in there and it's my best Job yet! I want to have 100,000 users before
by January and I want to celebrate 1 year anniversary with 1 million users. I know nothing is impossible, if I can
think it, I can do it. So I will work very hard towards it and make the dream come true.
This is the link to the project www.romanticpeeps.com

Special shout out to Seun for influencing me on the benefits of Python programming language throughout the years...
I follow Seun on quora and I think he is absolutely amazing and a role model.
Shout out to Javanian, Fayimora and all the programmers on Nairaland. You guys contributed in one way or the other...

What do you think about my project? I want to make it real big!
May God bless our hustle all!!!!

Awwwn... Very touching story I didn't read all of it though, I was more interested in seeing the project.

The project is a good one, but do your potential members a little favour by making the site responsive. Kudos!

It's The Lord's doing... Keep the dream alive, I love your spirit... God bless us!

hmmmmmm, I'm inspired.
make me self go back to my java book, time dey go.
mr Gideon, i wish you success in what you've chosen and i hope ur dreams become reality

Wow, guyz thanks for the encouragement! I am so very grateful.
I will make the site responsive.

Read ur story Double G, ll follow U. God is ur strenght.

Nice work GideonG. I wish you all the best in your new start-up. By this time next year you will be sharing a story of success about your start-up.

I will advice you lay down your plans on how to achieve those figures. These days to development applications are easier than getting many users to use the applications.

Don't do it alone. Let your friends and others who share the same passion about your new start-up help you get the word out while you still update and maintain your web app.

It might not be easy at the beginning but remember, there is light at the end of the tunnel


I see determination in your words, I see passion and I see success.

Best of luck

nollyj: Nice work GideonG. I wish you all the best in your new start-up. By this time next year you will be sharing a story of success about your start-up.

I will advice you lay down your plans on how to achieve those figures. These days to development applications are easier than getting many users to use the applications.

Don't do it alone. Let your friends and others who share the same passion about your new start-up help you get the word out while you still update and maintain your web app.

It might not be easy at the beginning but remember, there is light at the end of the tunnel


I see determination in your words, I see passion and I see success.

Best of luck

Thanks guy, I am going to bring a 5-7 people on board to help me take it to the next level! I can't do it alone, I need that mastermind alliances working in absolute harmony to achieve the dream.

God help us all

O.k i'v read yr story and just want to share something for the purpose of all and upcoming designers, programmers, coders and generally those intereseted in I.T. We can all see I.T is the now, tommorrow and the future, even if u don't make adime now have the passion for it and above all be good in what you do, do not settle for "i dey try, i don be programmer" but go the extra mile know the stuff to be a pro in yr field.

I know guys today being paid more than a million naira per month as developers in naija here, the company i first worked a company designed their site for 800k (i saw the invoice, na that one make me vex enter web development) the job i first got was 300k (e be magic, but it is true)and today i wrk as a developer, learning as u did from those sites u stated above but i began my journey with http://www.tizag.com, so the sky is anyone's limit if u try and today we have mobile apps development, anyone with the right idea can a millionaire with the right thinking app for a company or for free.

I rest my case, have a lovely season everyone and a happy newyear.

GideonG: Wow, guyz thanks for the encouragement! I am so very grateful.
I will make the site responsive.

yes boss, ive always been a great fan of yours ever since you created a thread about your android apps,and i must say that am highly impressed by your works....i ve been trying to reach you but havnt got the oportunity..Please ill like you to share the links(or title and authors) to the ebooks you used while learning PHP, because ill like to have them in my virtual library....do well to drop dem here for the benefit of all ansundry...Thanks in anticipation

@trytillmake Wow... that's so great! Thank you very much for the inspiration and encouragement!

@wisemania Thank you very much, I am delighted to hear that. For the ebooks are you really serious about them?
because I don't think it's worth the time now since there are couple of videos from phpacademy.org and codeacademy.com
that will make you understand better.

I just think ebooks are old school right now(Even though there are some explanations you only get in a book)
But seriously, I think you should just use the sites above, they tend to make you more productive as a programmer
compare to the books, and you know time is money and also the most important thing for a programmer.
There is absolutely no time to waste than being super productive, so always utilize your time and move forward in programming.

If you insist on the books I will just create a zip folder for it, and upload them to my site for you to download. But trust me you don't need it in this 2014!

@Gideon:
I understand you boss...its just that am so given to ebooks, am the kind of person that gets bored easily learning through video devices because i do feel that much can't be said with the mouth but can definately be writen down(that's why i'd prefare ebooks instead),and am still in the university,i only read them in my leisure(coz no tym atall).id rather you compiled them in a zip file and upload them on your site,i woudnt mind..thanks.

Nice story. Wat i gleaned is that you're more of a web devoloper cum mobile dev cum core dev.
I'm creatg distinctions here.
Your success route is also typical since web dev is easier and seemingly more lucrative than desktop dev. It seemed desktop guys ar just doing it for fun or roastg.
I was anticipatg a story of a desktop/enterprise dev but nevertheless its an encouraging read.
I just feel web dev is over hyped and that hard core programmers are superior to web developer come rain come sun anyday even though theyre not presently receivg (or may never) the recognition and remunerations they deserve.

kambo: Nice story. Wat i gleaned is that you're more of a web devoloper cum mobile dev cum core dev.
I'm creatg distinctions here.
Your success route is also typical since web dev is easier and seemingly more lucrative than desktop dev. It seemed desktop guys ar just doing it for fun or roastg.
I was anticipatg a story of a desktop/enterprise dev but nevertheless its an encouraging read.
I just feel web dev is over hyped and that hard core programmers are superior to web developer come rain come sun anyday even though theyre not presently receivg (or may never) the recognition and remunerations they deserve.

I've failed to see the reason behind this your comment. I've been watching you for quite a while now, You seem to talk more odd than otherwise. Just my observation though, I might be wrong.


@Op, Weldone. You've done a really good job. I always knew u were worth the hype. Keep it up and may Almighty God see all of us thru.

dsypha:

I've failed to see the reason behind this your comment. I've been watching you for quite a while now, You seem to talk more odd than otherwise. Just my observation though, I might be wrong.

it's good to air your views it cud help som1. You wudnt know oddity if it tapped you on the shoulder ,going by your retort, and i'm no way regarding myself as deviant at all. Most of the essays i post here are actually supposed to be on a blog post judging by their lenght and tone. But i dump them here out of well, for airg sake.
If you see oddity how cud u differentiate it from unconventionality?
Wat criteria dyu use?
But using a term tht denotes wrong skewed thinkg suggests you are using a yard stck tht differentiates the skewed/perverse from the logcal.
Which begs the question of wat criteria dyu use.

kambo:

it's good to air your views it cud help som1. You wudnt know oddity if it tapped you on the shoulder ,going by your retort, and i'm no way regarding myself as deviant at all. Most of the essays i post here are actually supposed to be on a blog post judging by their lenght and tone. But i dump them here out of well, for airg sake.
If you see oddity how cud u differentiate it from unconventionality?
Wat criteria dyu use?
But using a term tht denotes wrong skewed thinkg suggests you are using a yard stck tht differentiates the skewed/perverse from the logcal.
Which begs the question of wat criteria dyu use.

Its surprising how you would say this.

Isn't your being odd on this thread obvious enough?? everyone is either praising the op or advicing him. And you? what did you do? talking about how people do more web than desktop, how the op is more of a web person than mobile or desktop, how web is easier, how web is overhyped, how desktop geeks do it for fun. and I couldn't see how all this is related to this thread we are on
.

Just saying though. It is really none of my business. I might be helping someone. who knows?

dsypha:


Its surprising how you would say this.

Isn't your being odd on this thread obvious enough?? everyone is either praising the op or advicing him. And you? what did you do? talking about how people do more web than desktop, how the op is more of a web person than mobile or desktop, how web is easier, how web is overhyped, how desktop geeks do it for fun. and I couldn't see how all this is related to this thread we are on
.

Just saying though. It is really none of my business. I might be helping someone. who knows?

i know where u comg from. It's like i came in as a wet blanket but if u read wat i said thts not so. Its more like a side talk many programmers who read the artcle wud say- though not publish it but i published it. C'mon face it. The money in freelance software is in web dev which ironically is less demandg thn enterprise/stand alone software dev.
I know some1 who's made millions and established himself from web dev(php,mysql,css,flash,html).
His first job was for N2m.
His job quotes are millions(though d market is diluted).
Development time is in weeks.(2-3) compare to standalone software tht counts in months.
I dnt see standalone software guys making it so. Mayb few.

You do the maths and see d trends.

Pls mr gideong, what technologies and protocol did u use for the chat room section of your web app

Mr DoubleG...am patiently waiting for the link to those ebooks thanks..

wisemania: Mr DoubleG...am patiently waiting for the link to those ebooks thanks..

I am behind my big bro to get it too

Nice one bro! I like the site. But you need to advertise it constantly to get leads and members.

No one will know your website if you don't make noise about it.

Another thing is to keep innovating until you get it perfect, this is not the final step.

I think you should put the duration it took you to learn each of this languages

greenPHP:
I am behind my big bro to get it too

patiently waiting also

Dhelake: I think you should put the duration it took you to learn each of this languages

seconded!....
merry christmas folks...

Keep the faith bro...

Gideon, you didn't give details of the materials you used to learn python and how your were able to publish some of your apps on the google play store.

:Dyour article has really inspired me alot,i never knew anyone could learn programming reading books and putting it to pratice,weldone guy your article has really inspired me alot,i never knew anyone could learn programming reading books and putting it to pratice,weldone guy

how come this topic came up again?? maybe cos of d attach that turn d hands of time on Nl a bit back.... but I think that Gideong has edited that his writeup cos after I read this writeup sometime last year DEC I started downloading videos from thenewBoston.com.. udemy.com, couserea.com, channel9 by microsoftt and I must say, that I have really been inspired to move to greater height... after I read and visited the sites dropped by Gideong last year. And today I handle top projects with c#... I still remain thankful to guys like dhtml, siscology, seun... Nd other programmers in the house ....


passion is all that matters!

I am now fully into Python and Web2py Framework! www.about.me/gideongeorge

I read your first post immediately you made it, but i chose to reserve my comment, and i still dont think it is time to "comment my reserve".

However, i think your about.me profile should read something like this:

I am a techpreneur, Founder and CEO of Gidigba! Also the co-founder of Homeler. I love computer programming more than anything. I know Python, Android, Java, PHP, XML, JavaScript, jQuery, CSS3 and HTML5. I wanna be the greatest.

You might take a little hint from http://about.me/ogundipe - but dont ask me how i justified my text because as you probably might have noticed, that is not supported.

Mind you, i have not yet "commented my reserve" - maybe i shall never do so on nairaland, I am getting wary of nairaland these days.