How I Would Start Learning Tech If I Wanted Clients
A member in my Skool community asked me a really good question.
He basically said:
I just need a clear direction from an experienced developer like you who can guide me on how exactly I must start my learning journey
Here is how I answered him
I started my learning journey with two things in mind: market demand and my curiosity. At the time React was out and I was curious about it. And guess what? It worked out because React became the next big thing and a lot of companies adopted it.
React became one of the next big things and a lot of companies adopted it. Now let me be clear. That does not mean whatever technology you decide to study will blow up like React. You might pick something and it does not become the next major wave. That could happen. But my point is not that you need to perfectly predict the future.
My point is this:
Your curiosity and opportunity can meet.
That is where I think a lot of people should start.
Not just with what is popular.
Not just with what some influencer told you to learn.
Not just with what looks good on Twitter or LinkedIn.
But with the overlap between what you are curious about and what the market is actually paying for.
Curiosity Alone Is Not Enough
I am a big believer in curiosity.
Curiosity keeps you going when the tutorial gets boring.
Curiosity helps you push through bugs.
Curiosity makes you want to understand how things work instead of just copying code.
But curiosity by itself is not enough if your goal is to get clients.
If you want to make money with your skills, you also need to ask:
Is there demand for this?
Are businesses paying for this?
Are people hiring for this?
Are clients actively looking for this help?
Because if you are trying to get your first client, you do not want to spend six months learning something nobody around you is asking for. That does not mean the skill is useless. It just means it may not be the best first move for client work.
For Client Work, Practical Tools Matter
If your goal is client work, do not overlook practical tools.
WordPress can be a great tool to learn.
Shopify can be a great tool to learn.
React can be a great tool to learn.
AI tools like Claude can be great to learn.
Some developers might look down on tools like WordPress or Shopify because they are not always seen as “real engineering.”
But clients usually do not care about your ego.
They care about results.
Can you fix the site?
Can you improve the checkout?
Can you build the landing page?
Can you automate the workflow?
Can you make the business more money?
Can you save them time?
That is what matters.
So if you are starting out, the question is not only:
“What technology should I learn?”
The better question is:
“What technology helps me solve problems people already have?”
That is a much better way to think.
How To Test Demand
One simple thing you can do is go to LinkedIn and search for phrases like:
“I need a WordPress developer”
“I need a Shopify developer”
“I need a React developer”
“I need someone to fix my website”
“I need help with automation”
Then look at the results.
Do this with multiple platforms and multiple skills.
Replace WordPress with React.
Replace React with Shopify.
Replace Shopify with automation.
Replace automation with whatever you are curious about.
This is not a perfect system, but it gives you signals.
Getting Clients Is A Separate Skill
The second part of his question was about getting his first client. That is a great goal. But this is where I would ask a follow-up questions:What are you currently doing to get clients? What type of advice have you heard and actually implemented? Because a lot of beginners say they want clients, but might not be doing client-getting activities.
They are watching videos.
They are buying courses.
They are changing tech stacks.
They are redesigning their portfolio for the tenth time.
They are learning one more framework.
But they are not…
Talking to people.
Posting their work.
Making offers.
At some point, you have to move from learning to implementation. Because a lot of people do not have an information problem. They have an implementation problem.
Why I Built My Skool Community
This is one of the reasons I built my Skool community.
I wanted a place where developers, freelancers, and people trying to get into client work could talk through the real stuff.
Not just theory.
Not just motivational posts.
Not just “learn to code and everything will work out.”
But practical conversations like:
What should I learn?
How do I pick a direction?
How do I know if a skill has demand?
How do I get my first client?
How do I talk to clients?
How do I price my work?
How do I handle unrealistic expectations?
How do I stop overthinking and start moving?
Because if your goal is to buy back your time, location, and financial independence, you need more than technical knowledge.
You need judgment.
You need proof.
You need communication.
You need business sense.
You need to know how to turn your skills into a service people understand and are willing to pay for. That is what I am trying to help people do.