Mar 1, 2026

My Neovim Deep Dive: 40 Videos from Basics to Advanced

I hadn’t even noticed, and almost a year has already passed since I started using Neovim.

It’s been a tough journey…

A bit of everything has happened, from the satisfaction of having an environment where I truly feel pleasure programming, to banging my head against the wall trying to configure an LSP. But one thing stands out above all:

Learning Neovim is hard…

Is it worth it? Absolutely. But jumping to the dark side depends entirely on the kind of programmer you are and your real need for a fully customizable environment.

When yes?

You need complete control over your workflow.
Your workflow depends on multiple tools and a terminal-based environment is more convenient.
You like getting into the details and you’re not afraid of code.
You like the idea of programming in order to program better.
You have ADHD and all those IDE windows just make you procrastinate.
You’re not afraid of code.
Your frustration level is low when it comes to environment-related inconveniences.

When not?

Your frustration tolerance is low.
“I just want to open the IDE and start working.”
I already deal with enough code at work.
You prefer visual interfaces with windows and assistants.
You’re used to a fully integrated debugger like in VSCode or Visual Studio.

What should you at least try?

Vim motions

Definitely, every programmer should at least try learning Vim motions. They can be used in any IDE, not just Neovim, and they’re one of the best things Vim has. In my personal case, they’ve drastically reduced the movement of my wrists and helped me avoid an injury (I’ve been dealing with that issue for several years).

Macros

This marvel lets you automate work in a very intuitive way. Macros act like a kind of keyboard recorder that lets you repeat an operation across multiple lines. There are no native macros in IDEs like VSCode or Visual Studio, although there are some extension options. It’s something you absolutely have to try.

Will I keep using Neovim

Even though sometimes I hate having to program Lua for everything:

Yes, definitely.

I can spend hours typing in an environment like Neovim. My hands feel good, there’s no pain, and I keep typing faster and faster. I also really enjoy the minimalist style and the aesthetics of themes like tokyonight or kanagawa.

Throughout all this time, I’ve felt the need to share everything I’ve been learning, and without even realizing it, I now have a fairly long playlist with videos full of tips and advice, from the most basic to the most advanced.

Below I’m leaving an index with the main categories of those videos and links to everything. You’re going to love them, and they’ll be a big help.

See you around — keep moving forward!

Plugins and Alternatives

How to use Oil and how to replace popular plugins with lua configuration.

Replace autopairs
Replace nvim-surround
Replace which-key
Replace harpoon
Replace Blink
Replace toggleterm
Oil + Macros for file structure
Oil + Macros killer combo

Replace autopairs (3 lines)

Shows how to replace the autopairs plugin with just 3 lines of Neovim configuration.

Replace nvim-surround (3 lines)

Shows how to replace the nvim-surround plugin with just 3 lines of Neovim configuration.

Replace which-key (Lua)

Shows how to replace the which-key plugin with a simple Lua script.

Replace harpoon (custom marks)

Shows how to build a custom mark manager to replace the Harpoon plugin.

Replace Blink (built-in)

Shows how to replace the Blink completion plugin with Neovim’s built-in completion features.

Replace toggleterm (few lines)

Demonstrates how to replace the toggleterm plugin with just a few lines of configuration.

Oil + Macros for file structure

Demonstrates how to use Oil plugin combined with macros to create folder structures easily.

Oil + Macros killer combo

Demonstrates the powerful combination of Oil plugin and macros for file management in Neovim.

IDE vs Neovim

Videos comparing a traditional IDE and Vim motions.

Extract method
Introduce variable
Delete parameters
Change simple word
Convert parameters to local variables
Vim vs IDE

IDE vs Vim: Extract method

Compares extracting a method using Vim motions versus an IDE.

IDE vs Vim: Introduce variable

Compares introducing a variable using Vim motions versus an IDE.

IDE vs Vim: Delete parameters

Shows how to delete function parameters using Vim motions compared to an IDE.

IDE vs Vim: Change simple word

Compares changing a simple word using Vim motions versus an IDE.

Vim vs Mouse: Convert parameters

Shows how to convert function parameters to local variables using Vim motions versus mouse-based editing.

Vim vs IDE

Compares Vim motions with a regular IDE for code editing tasks.

Vim Motions

Videos showing the most useful vim motions.

5 killer neovim motions
5 Vim Motions to improve your Daily Programming
Oddly satisfying vim motions
Copy/paste vim motions cheat sheet

5 killer neovim motions

Learn 5 powerful Neovim motions that will boost your daily editing workflow.

5 Vim Motions to improve your Daily Programming

Learn 5 essential Vim motions that will improve your daily programming workflow.

Oddly satisfying vim motions

A collection of oddly satisfying Vim motions that are perhaps useless but absolutely addictive.

Copy/paste vim motions cheat sheet

A handy cheat sheet for copy/paste operations using Vim motions.

Custom Lua Development

Advanced configuration that needs lua development.

Custom File Search
Todo Explorer
Inspect, run and eval Lua
Live error view
Improving find command
Local LLM Inside Neovim (Part 1)
Local LLM Inside Neovim (Part 2)

Custom File Search (Lua)

Shows how to create a basic file search in Neovim using Lua.

Todo Explorer (Lua)

Shows how to build a todo list explorer in Neovim using Lua.

Inspect, run and eval Lua

Teaches the basics of running and debugging Lua code in Neovim.

Live error view (Lua API)

Demonstrates how to create a live error view window in Neovim using Lua and the Neovim API.

Improving find (Neovim 0.12)

Demonstrates how to enhance the built-in find command in Neovim 0.12 with fuzzy search and auto-complete functionality.

Local LLM Inside Neovim (Part 1)

Shows how to integrate a local LLM (Ollama) into Neovim using Lua. Demonstrates sending requests to the Ollama API and displaying the AI response within Neovim for code assistance and automation.