Things I Learnt The Hard Way - Start Stupid

One way to get away from the IDE is to "start stupid": Just get the compiler and get an editor (ANY editor) with code highlight and do your thing: Code, build it, run it.

Notice that say "stupid way", not "simple way".

Doing things in the stupid way is not the easiest way to start a project. How could one beat the easy of clicking a button and having the whole structure of a project done for you?

But starting it in the stupid way, in which you have to think your project layout, how to build stuff, how to run tests, how to do everything may give you some insights on how things work, how the pieces mesh together and how to cogs turn around. Even better: It make give you some insights on what doesn't work.

Honestly, you don't have to do this with all projects. You can still use your favourite IDE and do things in the easy way. But you can also have that side project on which you'll do everything in the stupid way, just to understand what your IDE is doing.

And when you grasp that, you'll be able to use any IDE.