If you’ve been learning to code for a while, you probably know the cycle:
- Watch a tutorial.
- Follow along line-by-line.
- Nod as everything makes sense.
- Finish… and realize you couldn’t recreate it without the video.
Welcome to tutorial hell.
I’ve been there. Most developers have. Tutorials are a great starting point, but they can become a trap that keeps you from building the skills you need to be a confident programmer.
Let’s break down why it happens and how to escape.
Why Tutorial Hell Happens
1. Instant progress feels good: When you’re following a video, everything “works.” You feel productive, even if you’re not retaining much.
2. You avoid the scary part: The scariest part of coding is venturing into the unknown. Tutorials conveniently skip that, so you never face it.
3. You never hit real roadblocks: In a tutorial, errors are pre-fixed by the instructor. In real projects, solving problems is the skill you need to develop, but you’re not practicing it.
Step 1: Cut the Cord (Gently)
I’m not saying never watch tutorials again. But start limiting them:
- Only use a tutorial when you’re truly stuck.
- Skip to the parts you don’t know.
- Don’t finish a series unless you need every skill it teaches.
The goal is to stop consuming every video like it’s a Netflix binge.
Step 2: Start Small, Start Messy
Your first self-made project doesn’t need to be “portfolio-ready.” It just needs to exist.
- A basic to-do app without styling? Perfect.
- A weather app that only works for your city? Great.
Messy code is fine. Ugly UI is fine. The key is to finish something with as little assistance as possible.
Step 3: Build Off the Tutorial
You don’t have to abandon a tutorial cold turkey. You can use it as a launch pad.
For example, if you follow a tutorial that builds a calculator, you could then add extra features yourself:
- additional buttons/functionality
- keyboard input
- a history log of previous calculations
This way, you benefit from the structure of the tutorial while still forcing yourself to think independently.
Step 4: Embrace the Struggle
If you never feel stuck, you’re not learning.
Google errors. Break things. Try again.
Those frustrating hours are how you actually learn to debug, troubleshoot, and think like a developer.
Step 5: Build for Yourself
Pick something you actually want to use.
Are you into Chess? Make a browser based chess app.
You're a big diver? Create a site documenting the best dive spots in the world.
Use your hobbies and interests as jumping off points to build new projects. The motivation to finish skyrockets when the project has personal value.
(Plus it's way more fun to build a project you actually care about)
Final Thoughts
Tutorials are great for getting started, but they’ll never make you a confident developer on their own. Confidence comes from building your own projects, facing problems, and finding solutions without someone holding your hand.
The sooner you start, the sooner you’ll escape tutorial hell and start building a portfolio you’re proud of.
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