From a Python State of Emergency to Thinking Like a Programmer!

Despite completing several Python courses and working on technically demanding projects, I struggled to write relatively simple programmes independently. I could read code, modify existing solutions, and eventually get things working, but starting from a blank editor was an entirely different story! I knew how to make Python do things, but I didn’t always understand why or how it was doing them.

I wrote Reuven a rather dramatic email titled “STATE OF EMERGENCY (Python, Purpose & Possible Panic)”, questioning my abilities and asking for guidance. His thoughtful response helped me realise that what I needed wasn’t another certificate or tutorial. I needed a proper foundation. And that decision led me to DAB.

What makes Reuven’s teaching different?

Having taken several programming courses, I can confidently say that Reuven’s approach is unlike anything I had previously experienced.
He doesn’t simply teach you what code to write. He teaches you WHY it works, HOW Python interprets and executes it, what happens behind the scenes, and the reasoning behind the syntax.

Today, I’m exploring and building Python-based applications to tackle real challenges in the sports betting industry, working with APIs, processing data, developing monitoring and automation solutions, and thinking more deeply about how applications and systems work together. I’m also increasingly venturing into software engineering, DevOps, Site Reliability Engineering, and observability, areas I might previously have considered beyond my reach.

DAB didn’t just teach me more Python. It gave me the foundation and confidence to dare to tackle bigger, more complex problems.

WOULD I RECOMMEND DAB?

Without the slightest hesitation! Especially if you’ve taken multiple Python courses, earned certifications, or even used Python professionally, yet still struggle to write programmes independently or understand the reasoning behind the code. If you want to move beyond following tutorials and memorising syntax to genuinely understanding how Python works, DAB is the programme I’d recommend. Because ultimately, the real value of learning Python isn’t simply knowing what to type. It’s understanding why it works and being able to apply that knowledge to problems you’ve never encountered before.

I cannot talk about DAB without acknowledging Reuven himself. His patience, encouragement, humour, and genuine passion for helping people understand programming have made an enormous difference to my journey. He makes you curious. He makes you ask why. And then why again, until things actually make sense!