I started hacking web projects and messing with Slackware in the mid90s as a self taught dev. Before that I was always building things on my computer it felt more like creative exploration or entreatment than academic discipline which is why I never pursued a CS degree.
Whats fascinating is how differently CS trained and self taught developers approach problems CS grads often bring systematic thinking and solid theoretical foundations they'll architect elegant solutions and consider edge cases upfront Self taught folks myself included tend to be more experimental willing to hack together quick prototypes and iterate rapidly
Ive found the magic happens in small teams that blend both approaches The CS trained developers provide structure while the self taught crowd brings creative problem-solving and isn't afraid to break conventional rules... sometimes there are no rules.
Has anyone else noticed this dynamic Im curious if others see different complementary strengths between these backgrounds or if this varies by company culture domain
Whats fascinating is how differently CS trained and self taught developers approach problems CS grads often bring systematic thinking and solid theoretical foundations they'll architect elegant solutions and consider edge cases upfront Self taught folks myself included tend to be more experimental willing to hack together quick prototypes and iterate rapidly Ive found the magic happens in small teams that blend both approaches The CS trained developers provide structure while the self taught crowd brings creative problem-solving and isn't afraid to break conventional rules... sometimes there are no rules. Has anyone else noticed this dynamic Im curious if others see different complementary strengths between these backgrounds or if this varies by company culture domain