Should I take a course or learn by building?

The evidence strongly favours learning by building, but with some nuance:

Why building first works better:

Context for learning: When you hit a real problem ('why isn't my data showing up?'), the answer sticks because you needed it.

Motivation: Working on something you care about keeps you going when things get hard. Courses often feel like homework.

Relevant learning: Building teaches you what matters for your specific goals, not generic curriculum.

Faster feedback: You see results (working features or broken code) immediately.

When courses add value:

After building something: You know what you don't know. A course fills specific gaps.

For foundational concepts: A short course on 'how databases work' or 'intro to web development' provides mental models that help everything else.

Structured fundamentals: If you want to eventually transition to traditional coding, foundational courses become more important.

Avoid: Taking multiple courses before building anything. This is comfortable but ineffective.