how would you learn to become a backend dev if you had to start from scratch ?

Posted by jessehyoshi@reddit | learnprogramming | View on Reddit | 12 comments

if you could start from scratch and enter to the world of backend development. how would you start? what's the best programming language would learn ? python? java ? ect...

I'm just a beginner, learning python righ now, and i don't really know much on how to move forwards. any advice or anything would be massively appreciated!!!!

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Any-Comfortable2844@reddit

The Odin project (js/ruby) + system design primer (GitHub)

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HyenaReasonable5537@reddit

Title: I built a free multilingual typing speed test (Arabic, French, Spanish + Survival Mode) — would love feedback

Hey r/typing 👋

I've been working on a typing speed test that supports Arabic, French, Spanish, and English — all in the same place, no account needed.

What makes it different: • Survival Mode (mistakes cost you time)
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It's completely free: typingtest.one

Would love honest feedback — especially from Arabic and French speakers who struggle to find good tools in their language.

What's your current WPM? 🎯

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Python's a very good backend language - stick with it. I would focus on these topics by creating your own little projects: 0. Web API - learn the concept of REST 1. Relational databases MySQL or any varient 2. NoSQL such as mongo 3. Async queues like rabbitmq or any other 4. Authentication & Authorization 5. Sessions, cookies JWT tokens (related to above).

Best if you start with something bare bones like Fastapi - not batteries included Django or anything like that.

Be able to build a small system that does something using all these components and you're on your way.

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MR_LAW11@reddit

If I had to restart, I’d honestly stop worrying so much about the “best” language and pick one long enough to actually build things. Python is totally fine for backend and beginner-friendly, so I wouldn’t switch yet.

I’d probably go: Python basics → APIs → databases (SQL) → build simple backend projects → authentication → deployment → basic system design. Stuff like a notes API, habit tracker, or expense tracker teaches way more than tutorials. Biggest mistake I made early was consuming content without building anything messy on my own.

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Queasy_Hotel5158@reddit

You’re already on the right path with Python tbh — backend dev is less about the “perfect language” and more about building stuff consistently.

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Agron7000@reddit

Use python just to learn about scripting in general, but you wouldn't use python, nodejs, Java, or mono (dotnet) on a high availability server. They make the server choke, especially python.

And python makes you pay a lot of money to Microslop because it needs a powerful multicore CPU on the backend server with a lot of memory when you use a cloud server from azure.

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Competitive_Aside461@reddit

I would not start off with a language but rather the basics of HTTP. That's crucial and many people unfortunately skip them. Then, I'll learn two different languages: a dynamically-typed language e.g. Python, and a statically typed language, e.g. Java. And then I'll build APIs, and then later move into other areas with respect to the backend, e.g. databases, serverless, cloud computing, etc.

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Ok_Tadpole7839@reddit

python and js tbh I think django is a good learning tool it has everything you need then you can branch out from there . I mean I do full stack I have ai do a lot but I still manage it ad code stuff myself and tell it what an how to do it I think where I feel short as a self thought dev is not learning back-end dsa because it will save you money in the long run and make your app faster gl learn dsa , concepts and theory and other stuff ai cannot replace.

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TemperatureNo88@reddit

I would simply start with python or javascript.. though javascript is my go to for this.

I will learn basics through https://jsschools.com/ .

Then take any project and start practicing

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Icy-Understanding-96@reddit

If I could start again and knowing python, I would probably continue using python and choosing a framework: Flask, Django, FastAPI, you name it, heck I would even just use Python. What's the best? It wouldn't matter because I would have done so many projects applying backend concepts that if you gave me Rust I would be able to apply it.

"What concepts? There is so many"

I would just follow a good guide and start there, roadmap is pretty solid and by the time I finished it I would be already competent enough to know where to focus more.

And I would never, never use AI to anything.

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Intelligent-Pay-9377@reddit

I would learn Python and just build backend stuff for fun. Like a KV store with a bunch of different nodes running concurrently on a network. Depends what kind of backend stuff you're interested in. Web backends, distributed systems, etc.

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Key_Organization7586@reddit

python is solid choice for starting, just pick small project and build it from zero - maybe simple api that does something you actually care about