[podopie]

The best advice I can give you is to write as much as you can before you start coding. Putting a program or app together is 60% critical thinking, 20% writing, and 20% error management. If you've already got some ideas, try to break them down as much as possible.

As for specific languages to learn: startups in particular seem to love Ruby, but honestly, they all work the same way, fundamentally. I crashed through the basics of Ruby in a week, started learning JavaScript, and stopped shortly after realizing that the majority of it was the same code just written differently.

++ to keeping a journal. It keeps you in check, because even though you say will will devote so much time a week to it, you won't. I had to start setting personal goals on a daily basis. That drive alone is helping. Keeping a blog is great for peer support too. I don't get many comments on mine, but it definitely feels good when someone stops by to say, "Hey, this is cool stuff."

Hope that helps, and good luck!