There are WordPress plugins that allow you to create a custom post type within the WordPress dashboard. This solution might work well for you, but if you create custom themes, or even general themes then you probably want the CPT to show up in the dashboard right after the theme is activated.
I started using WordPress Custom Post Type Code Generator by Thememergency recently and I’m finding the tool very useful. Creating the CPT code isn’t hard at all, but there lots of options that can be toggled on and off. I’m always forgetting to enable options like page attributes or hide from public search and end up wasting time going back to add them. The generator forces you to look at each option and make a choice step-by-step.
The site also has a custom taxonomy generator as well. The two tools work really with each other to create an even better WordPress experience.