Pick a framework, read a couple of books on it, and start experimenting and developing some pages. Consult the documentation extensively.
You get to a certain point in software development and there aren't online courses. You just have to read, seek out things on your own, and build stuff.
Thank you for the great perspective. I used to be a card carrying geek, bragging about how rational and awesome I was for rejecting societal norms. Then I got a degree in mathematics and realized the universe is huge and complicated, I am tiny, and my brain is even more tiny.
The more I learn about science and the universe, the more I learn to quietly respect people who don't understand it, because even though I think I understand it better than they do, I am still in the group of "people who don't understand it".
I would worry that if you convince him to "burn his ship", and the company goes down in flames, he will hold a lot of resentment against you.
I really think that he needs to be in a place where burning his ships is his decision.
No matter how awesome your company is, things are going to get bad. There will be long nights, rejections, technical problems, and failure will loom large. You can make it through this with a good attitude if you really believe in what you are doing. If he is just tagging along with you, I'd worry that he wouldn't have the kind of emotional investment that would see him through the bad times.
But more importantly, I think you would want to bring people into your company that add to the momentum. You want people who inspire you and push you harder. Creative ideas, fresh perspectives, and emotional encouragement aren't going to come from a reluctant, non-committal person who is only there because he burned his ship.
Achieving a difficult goal (like building a company) requires a fanatical, passionate determination that does not waver and which drives consistent "do it yourself" behavioral patterns. Independent initiative, determined focus, and unrelenting pursuit of your objectives are not optional.
Surrounding yourself with people who do not carry this same fire will hold you back.
I wrote a blog about this recently, and here is an excerpt:
"Setting an important, ambitious personal goal is the first shot fired in a war of attrition in which the entire world will seek to distract and demoralize you. It is a war for your time and attention, and success depends on the way you storm the beaches of every moment and seize them in the name of your endeavor."
Boo hoo. This is emo nonsense. Life is a brutal war for survival you are going to get severely beaten down a few dozen times before you ever make it to the top. 1% of 1% have an easy route to the top. The rest take it on the chin a few times, spit out their teeth, and keep throwing punches.
You seriously can't let that much negativity into your own life. Your business failed? Cool. That same day, 30,000 kids starved to death in Africa. You learned a lot about running a business and discovered that your specific idea didn't work out.
Move on and find a new adventure. Live in the windshield, not the rear view mirror.