"Never memorize what you can look up in books." When you do it long enough, you get a really good sense of the structure of programs. Then, it's just a matter

"Never memorize what you can look up in books." When you do it long enough, you get a really good sense of the structure of programs. Then, it's just a matter of fitting in the best technologies of the time into the 'architecture'. The full stack is just data storage, data transfer, processing, user interface, system structure, tools, and processes. When you do it long enough, you get a good, general understanding of all of these pieces. When I take on a new project, I do the following: 1. learn about all the 'current' technologies 2. write simple apps (full stack) in each of them 3. decide on which are best (sometimes I make mistakes, often I use 'old' stuff) 4. cram a bit 5. write a somewhat more complex app 6. learn the rest, as I go