From Zero to 500K+ Lines
The AI-Powered Programming Journey
Started November 30, 2022 with ChatGPT 3.5. Zero coding experience. Now: 523,847 lines, 11 production systems.
The Numbers
523K
Lines written
1,059
Python scripts
343
TypeScript files
11
Production systems
The Beginning: November 30, 2022
"I had never written a single line of code before ChatGPT 3.5 was released. No computer science degree. No bootcamps. No prior programming experience. Just curiosity and determination."
Day one: a simple Python calculator. The first working function felt like magic.
(Note: I had built no-code apps with AppSheet during the optics decade—but never written actual code. The distinction matters: no-code tools hide the programming; ChatGPT taught me to write it.)
The Timeline
Month 1-3: First Steps
Simple Python calculator. First API call (OpenAI GPT-3.5). First web scraper with BeautifulSoup. Learning Python basics, API concepts, JSON handling.
Month 4-6: Building Confidence
First Flask web app. PostgreSQL basics. Email processing automation. Skills gained: SQL, HTML/CSS, Git.
Month 7-9: Scaling Up
First production system: tax credit eligibility checker. First React SPA. ML classification system. Breakthrough: 100+ Python scripts.
Month 10-12: Enterprise Solutions
WOTCFY Platform launch. Processing 10K+ documents. GPT-4, embeddings, fine-tuning. First $100K in tax credits processed.
Year 2: Exponential Growth
YouTube Pipeline: 32,579 videos processed. Chat Analysis: 11,494 conversations. ML accuracy: 94%. Code volume: 400K+ lines.
Year 3: Production Mastery
Multiple enterprise deployments. 500K+ total lines. Claude Sonnet, GPT-4 mastery. $200K+ revenue generated.
The Learning Methodology
AI as Teacher, Not Crutch:
1. Ask AI to explain concept
2. Write code myself
3. Debug with AI assistance
4. Refactor for understanding
5. Build something original
"AI didn't write my code. It taught me how to write code. Every line in production was understood, tested, and refined by me."
Daily Practice Routine
Morning
2 hours exploring new concepts
Afternoon
4 hours building projects
Evening
2 hours refactoring, learning from mistakes
Coded every single day for nearly 3 years. Consistency over intensity.
Skills Mastered
Languages
Core
React, Next.js, Tailwind, FastAPI, Supabase, PostgreSQL, PostGIS
AI/ML
OpenAI, Anthropic, Embeddings, Classification, Fine-tuning
Patterns
Microservices, Event-Driven, SOLID, ETL, Pub/Sub
Code Quality Evolution
Year 1 (Learning)
• Functions per file: 20+ (learning stage)
• Code duplication: 30%
• Documentation: Minimal
• Testing: None
Year 3 (Now)
• Functions per file: 5-8 (modular)
• Code duplication: 15%
• Documentation: Comprehensive
• Testing: Growing (target 70%)
Production Systems Built
Enterprise Tax Credit Platform
$500K+ in credits processed · 10K+ businesses served
YouTube Content Intelligence
32,579 videos processed · Whisper, GPT-4, embeddings
Document Processing Automation
50K+ documents · 7 languages · 98% extraction rate
Real-Time Chat Analysis
11,494 conversations · 36 classifiers · 94% accuracy
Gmail Automation Suite
100K+ emails · 231 specialized processors · 15 providers
What Worked
The AI Advantage
"AI accelerated my learning by 10x. Not by writing code for me, but by explaining concepts instantly, debugging alongside me, suggesting better patterns, reviewing code tirelessly, and answering 'stupid' questions without judgment."
To Aspiring Developers
"If someone with zero coding experience can write 500K+ lines of production code in under 3 years, you can too."
The key ingredients:
- Consistency over intensity
- Projects over tutorials
- Understanding over copying
- Debugging over perfection
- Building over planning
The Honest Truth
"Three years ago, I couldn't write 'Hello World'. Today, I architect systems that serve thousands. Tomorrow, I'll build what seems impossible today."
See everything I've built → · How I think → · Full journey documentation →