Why I Started Making Tech Less Scary

I used to be terrified of technology.

Not "oh no, I don't understand this" intimidated. I mean genuinely scared. The kind of scared where you avoid asking questions because you're convinced everyone will realize you're faking it.

Imposter syndrome hit different when you're surrounded by people who learned to code at age 12 and you're still Googling "what is an API."

But here's the thing: that fear is exactly why I do what I do now.

The Moment Everything Changed

I was in a meeting (this was years ago, before Denise Mathews became "the person who explains tech in plain English"). Someone mentioned a tool that could automate part of my job. I nodded along like I understood, then spent my lunch break frantically Googling terms like "webhook" and "JSON."

That day, I made a decision: I was tired of feeling left out of conversations about technology.

Not because I wanted to become a software engineer (though I ended up learning to code eventually). But because I realized that tech literacy was becoming as essential as reading — and I was being left behind.

Tech Gatekeeping Is Real

Here's what I learned on my journey: the tech world is really, really bad at teaching beginners.

Documentation assumes you already know the basics. Tutorials skip over "obvious" steps that aren't obvious if you're new. Forums are full of people saying "just Google it" or "this is CS 101" when you ask basic questions.

And the worst part? Tech culture often treats "not knowing" like a moral failing instead of a normal part of learning.

I watched friends — smart, capable people — give up on learning to code because they felt stupid. Not because they were stupid, but because the resources available made them feel stupid.

That pissed me off.

What I'm Actually Doing

When I started creating content, my goal was simple: explain tech like I'm talking to a friend over coffee.

No jargon (or at least, jargon with definitions). No assumptions about prior knowledge. No shame for asking "dumb" questions (there are no dumb questions, only bad teachers).

I wanted to be the resource I wish I'd had when I was starting out. The person who would say:

• "An API is just a way for two apps to talk to each other. Like a waiter taking your order to the kitchen."
• "Git isn't scary — it's just a way to save versions of your code so you don't lose work."
• "Yes, everyone Googles syntax constantly. Even senior engineers."

Denise Mathews isn't here to prove I'm smart. I'm here to make you feel smart.

The Dirty Secret About Learning Tech

Here's what nobody tells beginners: everyone struggles. Everyone.

That engineer who seems to effortlessly debug code? They Google error messages constantly.

That developer building "complex" apps? They're copying patterns from Stack Overflow and documentation.

That person giving a confident tech talk? They researched the hell out of their topic and still got nervous about questions.

The difference between beginners and experienced people isn't that experienced people know everything — it's that they've learned how to learn. They know which questions to ask. They know where to look. They've built up enough context that new concepts click faster.

But they still learn new things every single day.

Why This Matters

Technology is reshaping everything. The job market. The economy. How we work, create, and solve problems.

And right now, there's a gap. A huge gap between:

• People who can use technology to build, automate, and create
• People who feel locked out because "tech isn't for them"

That gap? It's mostly artificial. Built on gatekeeping, bad teaching, and the myth that you need to be "technical" to work with tech.

I don't accept that.

I believe that anyone — yes, anyone — can learn to use technology to solve problems and build cool stuff. You don't need a CS degree. You don't need to be "good at math." You don't need to have started coding as a kid.

You just need:

1. Curiosity
2. Patience with yourself
3. Resources that don't make you feel like an idiot

That's it.

Where I'm Going

My mission is simple: make tech accessible to people who don't think they're "tech people."

I want to bridge the gap. I want to create resources that meet you where you are. I want to normalize asking questions, making mistakes, and learning in public.

Because here's the truth: the future belongs to people who can use technology to solve problems — not just developers, but anyone who learns to work with tech instead of being scared of it.

Denise Mathews isn't trying to turn everyone into engineers. I'm trying to help everyone feel confident enough to use the tools that already exist.

And if that means explaining the same concept 47 different ways until it clicks? Worth it.

Start Where You Are

If you're reading this and thinking "I wish I knew more about tech but it's too late" — it's not.

If you're scared of looking dumb — join the club. We've all been there.

If you think you're not "technical enough" — that's a story you're telling yourself, not a fact about who you are.

Start small. Pick one thing that interests you. Give yourself permission to be bad at it at first. Ask questions. Break things. Learn.

I promise: it gets easier. And more fun. And before you know it, you're the one helping someone else who's just starting out.

That's how we make tech less scary — one person at a time.

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Want to start learning with me? Check out my guides (written for actual humans, not robots) or tell me what you want to build and we'll figure it out together. You've got this. 💜