“We would be dead for sure if I didn't learn how to code and it's an invaluable skill that I'll have in this organization and future organizations — it also just helps me think about things differently.”

Learn to code — 'we would be dead for sure' without it

Seth Miller started Rapchat in college with no technical background, relied on friends and faculty for early builds, then taught himself to code when he realised he could not afford engineers or wait on fundraising. He credits it as the single most survival-critical decision: without the ability to ship updates himself, Rapchat would have stalled before finding traction. The skill also makes him a more credible and effective technical manager.