My 2024 Web Development Journey: A 16-Year-Old's Perspective

Hey there! 👋 I'm a 16-year-old web developer, and 2024 has been quite an adventure. Let me walk you through my coding journey this year.

Starting Fresh with Next.js 14

Coming into 2024, I already had experience with Next.js 13's pages router from the previous year. My first challenge was diving into the new app router in Next.js 14. It was different, but exciting! I spent time building various projects following YouTube tutorials, which helped me get comfortable with the new routing system.

Exploring Sanity CMS

One of the highlights was mastering Sanity Studio v3. I particularly focused on GROQ queries, which opened up new possibilities for content management. I put this knowledge to work by building several projects, including my portfolio. It was amazing to see how a proper CMS could make content management so much smoother.

And speaking of Sanity, I got a super cool surprise – they sent me some awesome swag! It's always encouraging when companies recognize and support young developers.

Database Deep Dive

I expanded my backend skills by learning PostgreSQL and Prisma through YouTube tutorials. This opened up a whole new world of possibilities for building data-driven applications. Understanding database management and ORM tools was a game-changer for my projects.

Real-World Projects

A significant milestone was creating a demo website for my school using Next.js and Tailwind CSS. This wasn't just another tutorial project – it was my first taste of building something that would be used by real people. Working with Tailwind CSS made the styling process much more efficient.

Academic Life and Coding Balance

Mid-2024 brought my SEE (Grade 10) exams. But hey, what's a developer to do with three months of post-exam holidays? Learn TypeScript, of course! I used this time to level up my skills, learning how to use TypeScript with React and Next.js. I also dove deep into Next.js 14's caching mechanisms.

First Client Project and Income

One of my proudest moments? Landing my first freelance client from Australia! The project earned me 355 AUD, which wasn't just money – it was validation that my skills were becoming professionally valuable. Around this time, I also built an appointment management system using Firebase and NextAuth, which taught me a lot about integrating different technologies.

Professional Growth

August brought another exciting development – my first paid internship and involvement in Project-swikar-codes. This experience taught me invaluable lessons about working in a team environment. I learned:

Project management using Trello
The importance of pull requests and code review processes
How to collaborate effectively with other developers
Professional Git workflow and best practices

Personal Investments

In October, I took a big step and invested in my personal brand by purchasing my first .com domain (manishtamang.com). It was a proud moment paying for it with my own money! I also spent time making my GitHub profile more professional and engaging.

Continuous Learning

This year wasn't just about coding – I made sure to broaden my horizons:

Read hundreds of tech blogs to stay updated with the latest trends
Became active in multiple developer communities
Completed my first book: "Zero to One" by Peter Thiel, which gave me fascinating insights into startups and innovation
Worked extensively with various APIs (Spotify, Gemini, Umami, Wakatime)

Looking Back

This year has been transformative. From learning new technologies to earning my first freelance income, landing an internship, and building my personal brand – each experience has contributed to my growth as a developer. I'm excited to see what the next year brings!

Written by a passionate 16-year-old developer who's just getting started! 🚀