The demand for problem-solving skills using tech is growing in Malaysia as more companies digitalize their operations, HR, and marketing – across functions.

And more people are open to trying to acquire technology skills to solve business problems. 

In this post, we spoke to Ash, a participant in our Zero to Market workshop, who shared with us, how picking up web development skills enhances his on-job problem-solving abilities.

Ash began his journey as an office boy and gradually progressed in his career; today, he works in procurement and purchasing. His daily work requires him to interact with the finance department and other vendors, particularly in IT.

The main focus of his company is bundling Internet services from existing telco companies with other products. Understanding web development gives him an edge when communicating with IT stakeholders.

Prior to this, Ash was in the solar industry and has been involved in a variety of careers as he tries to adapt and learn new skills as best he can to improve his problem-solving skills.

When we asked him how it felt to move into a new industry with a lot of uncertainty, he replied:

“The work structure might be similar in most companies, but you have to learn their product and goals from the ground up,” Ash quipped.

The thought process in web development helps to solve problems in businesses. 

Well, here is what Ash has to say about it:

“Often, I have taken what I learned in previous companies and applied it to my current company. For example, my previous company used collaborative tools to work digitally, but my current company still uses Excel. I took the opportunity to introduce them to a collaborative tool,” Ash said.

Before working in procurement, Ash worked with several vendors in the solar industry. However, working with the IT department was always difficult for him.

“Before, I did not have the technical knowledge to communicate with them, but now I at least know how to do it. For example, if I have a little background in web development such as HTML, CSS, and some backend tools, I can better understand my team’s needs and communicate with the IT department to get the job done,” Ash says.

Self-learning web development (as a non-technical beginner)

Ash said he first tried the self-learning approach, which was difficult because of the overloaded information on the Internet, and there was no learning plan for him. 

“If there’s no learning plan, there’s no pressure or urgency to get it done, which causes us to put off our goals,” Ash said.

As a busy professional, Ash needed a better learning plan that would allow him to list his learning phases – and that’s what we do in courses at LEAD. We create an appropriate learning plan for working professionals and help them achieve their goals faster than self-learning.

Building your first web development project (even with a full-time job).

After working through what he learned in Zero to Market, Ash can now see differences in his career. The knowledge helped him advance his career. Communicating with the IT team opened up many opportunities to solve business problems.

In addition, Ash now understands the whole picture of web development through the syllables in Zero to Market, which he can use later to dive into advanced learning when possible.

He also plans to use this knowledge in the future as a freelancer since he already knows how to create a market-ready website that will increase sales. 

One thing that made Ash fall in love with Zero to Market is the community support. At LEAD, we have a community called Pro Group with over 1000 people with the same mindset as you. Lessons and tasks will release there. So you can communicate with others and learn things faster than ever before.

“Even when the community did not know the right answer, Dr. Lau always helped me during weekly video calls. I never had any questions that were not answered, and that’s what I love about the program,” Ash said.

Are you able to learn web development without a technical background?

Ash came from a non-technical background, starting as an office boy and now working in procurement and purchasing, with knowledge of web development. And it wouldn’t be surprising if he took up a new profession with different skills in the future.

We’re curious: How can a non-technical person achieve something like this? So we asked him, and he answered:

“You’ve to take it slow. Then anyone can do it. I usually take it one step at a time, and I’m never afraid to ask many questions if I can’t follow. There’s no stupidity in learning something,” Ash said.

Yes, he’s right. No website like Lazada or Shoppe is created overnight; we need to learn the basics and work from there. Small steps will help.

Build your market-ready website and make your first sale in 30 days.

At LEAD, we’ve helped hundreds of people – including Ash. And we can help you too. 

An excellent place to start is with our proven Zero to Market Bootcamp, which helps you build a world-class custom web application and become a full-stack data scientist.

Pre-enrolment is now open. Join the program to sharpen your skills with a group of learners. We’re only accepting 40 participants for this cohort.