If you’ve thought about learning iOS and Objective-C, have you thought about why you want to learn? What do you want to do with that knowledge? Are you hoping to stay relevant? Put an app on the App Store? Show your friends what you can do? If you’re not sure, here are five great reasons to learn iOS and Objective-C.

1. You want to invest regularly in your knowledge portfolio. You know that in order to be a great developer, you need to be learning all the time. And you understand that learning a new language helps you to see the world differently and makes you a better developer – even if you continue using the same language in your everyday work.

2. You want to stay relevant. Maybe you currently write code in a language that’s on the decline, and you want to make sure you have the skills you need in order to continue to be indispensable to your employer. You know that Objective-C is on the rise as Java slowly declines, and learning Objective-C would ensure that you still have the skills employers are looking for.

3. You want to build an app & sell it on the App Store. Maybe you have a great idea that you just can’t wait to build, and you want to sell it on the App Store and start making some money on it. You know that using PhoneGap will result in an app that’s sluggish and doesn’t have the feel of a native app – so you want to build a native app with Objective-C and iOS.

4. You’re ready to take your career a different direction. Perhaps you want to make a living on Objective-C and iOS. After I learned iOS in my spare time, I was able to start freelancing and eventually grow my business into a small consultancy. Learning iOS gave me the freedom to work with the technology I wanted (Macs, iPhones, and iPads), leave the shackles of salaried employment, and build the business and lifestyle I wanted.

5. You want to be able to show off your work. Maybe you work as a backend developer now and still can’t get your friends and family to understand what you do. You want to work on apps that you can show them by pulling your phone out of your pocket and saying “I made this.” You’d like to build something they can see in the App Store and install on their phone.

Are you ready to learn iOS and Objective-C? Enter your email below and grab my advice, tips, and tutorials on iOS development designed to help you become a master of iOS development – and never worry about whether you’ll be stuck maintaining legacy Java for the rest of your life. Plus, you’ll get to hear more about our upcoming iOS Boot Camp, which is designed to help you get started with iOS quickly – without pulling your hair out.