If I had to start over as a programmer in 2026, what would I do differently? This question comes up more and more and with people actively building software using AI, it’s as relevant as ever.

Some people will tell you to pick a project and learn whatever language fits that project best. Others will push JavaScript because it’s everywhere and you can build just about anything with it. Both are reasonable takes, but I do think there’s a best first language.

However, don’t take my word for it. Listen to Brian Kernighan. If you’re not familiar with the name, he co-authored The C Programming Language back in 1978 and worked at Bell Labs alongside the creators of Unix. Oh also, he is a computer science Professor at Princeton. This man TAUGHT programming to generations of computer scientists.

There’s an excellent interview on Computerphile with Kernighan where he makes a compelling case for Python as the first language.

Why Python?

Kernighan makes three points that you should listen to.

First, the “no limitations” argument. Tools like Scratch are great for kids or early learners, but you hit a wall pretty quickly. Python sits in a sweet spot—it’s readable and approachable, but the ecosystem is deep enough that you won’t outgrow it.

Second, the skills transfer. Once you learn the fundamentals—loops, variables, data structures—they apply everywhere. As Kernighan puts it: “If you’ve done N programming languages, the N+1 language is usually not very hard to get off the ground.”

Learning to think in code matters more than any specific syntax.

Third, Python works great for prototyping. You can build something to figure out your algorithms and data structures, then move to another language depending on your needs.

Why Not JavaScript?

JavaScript is incredibly versatile, but it throws a lot at beginners. Asynchronous behavior, event loops, this binding, the DOM… and that’s a lot of cognitive overhead when you’re just trying to grasp what a variable is.

Python’s readable syntax lets you focus on learning how to think like a programmer. Fewer cognitive hurdles means faster progress on the fundamentals that actually matter.

There’s also the type system. JavaScript’s loose equality comparisons (== vs ===) and automatic type coercion trip people up constantly.

Python is more predictable. When you’re learning, predictable is good.

The Path Forward

So here’s how I’d approach it: start with Python and focus on the basics. Loops, variables, data structures.

Get comfortable reading and writing code. Once you’ve got that foundation, you can either go deeper with Python or branch out to whatever language suits the projects you want to build.

The goal isn’t to master Python, it’s to learn how to think about problems and express solutions in code.

That skill transfers everywhere, including reviewing AI-generated code in whatever language you end up working with.

There are a ton of great resources online to help you learn Python, but one I see consistently is Python for Everyone by Dr Chuck.

Happy coding!