This tutorial should help you get started. Skip the step about signing up for a LinkSprite account.
Instead of using their Arduino example code, you’d use my sketch instead.
This guide should be used more to familiarize yourself with the hardware and wiring of the USB-to-UART adapter…how to put it into FLASH mode…etc… The guide is out of date. Use Arduino 1.8.9, and install support for the ESP8266 via the Arduino IDE’s “Boards Manager”.
Take you time. You’re definitely jumping into the “deep end” ! 