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!
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!