Is the code meant to be pure product code? If so then you could at least maintain that as a side project of a given level of commitment per your own specification, and see how it goes--there's the meat of discovery for you in this kind of situation.

And despite your question being kind of specialism-focused, your actual experiences already show sustainable energy is available for you as applied toward a broad approach to a variety of skills, rather than a specialized approach. This can be really helpful to consider.

For related reasons, I'd almost hesitate to recommend even answering your original question. I'd rather recommend questions like: When and how much to learn to code; What kind of code to write; What kind of code best supports my goal for this month; etc.

Similar with marketing, sales, and design. At 21 you should be able to leverage huge swaths of time toward learning a variety of things, and understanding their value as expressions of who you need to be in given contexts.

The result should be a more nimble approach toward your personal & career decisionmaking, with enough of a foundation to shift your perspectives between specialties as required to support your interests as they develop into firmer paths and more specific opportunities.

Just some thoughts though, good luck.

Thank you for the feedback

I don't see how coding precludes you from exploring starting a business now, either.

I was curious what GPT4 has to say:

It's great that you have a clear goal and have already gained some coding skills. The right approach for you ultimately depends on your interests, strengths, and how you envision your role in the tech company you want to start.

As the founder of a tech company, it's valuable to have a basic understanding of coding and technology, which you have already acquired. This knowledge will help you make informed decisions, communicate effectively with your technical team, and understand the development process.

Given your current situation, here are some suggestions to consider:

    Focus on your strengths: If you feel more passionate about marketing, sales, design, or business strategy, consider focusing on these areas to build a strong foundation. You can always collaborate with technical experts to bring your ideas to life.

    Evaluate your ideas: Analyze the business ideas you want to pursue and determine how critical it is to have deep technical expertise. If your ideas revolve around complex software or require extensive technical knowledge, you may want to continue learning to code.

    Networking: Start attending tech meetups, hackathons, and networking events to meet like-minded individuals and potential technical cofounders. Building a strong network will be invaluable when you're ready to start your company.

    Balance your skills: You can continue learning to code at a slower pace while also focusing on marketing, sales, and design. This way, you'll develop a more rounded skill set that would be beneficial in the long run.

Good Luck!

The good news being anything you work on will look good on a resume.

Overall don't know how many months of rent/food budget you can cover and so no one here can really answer how much risk to take.

Good luck!

Rest assured this will all pass in a couple years when you grow up and get your first job.