Thanks for asking, let's start with choosing the programming language before we go any further :-). I am kind of old school, can do anything but have spent 25 years of my life in some exotic crossplatform crossdatabase language called Omnis.  I really feel like having some fun and doing something with Steem blockchain, what language am i looking at? C++?  
Will be very grateful if you just tell me the language to start with, i hear there is even a js api for Steemit.  I am asking you more for a favour to give me a 1 word advice, hope you understand that i can probably only follow and upvote you for the first 6 months and have to learn a new language first.  With love, thanks!