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Talent is a word I try to avoid. It makes it sound like someone was born with the aptitude to be a programmer. I think most people could do the job, if they wan

Talent is a word I try to avoid. It makes it sound like someone was born with the aptitude to be a programmer. I think most people could do the job, if they wanted to. Let's be honest: it's not incredibly difficult and it's completely teachable. The words I care about are more like skillful, knowledgeable, and adaptable. I do think it's a tough gig for a person that isn't passionate, whether about programming itself or its outcomes. The part of the profession I'm in is a never-ending treadmill of fads and innovations. It's like the I Love Lucy candy packing episode. I personally love it, but I can imagine it not suiting everyone. But if the goal of the post is to say that you don't have to be done kind of super genius to be an accomplished developer, I'm on board with that.

Avernar 10y ago
Talent is a perfect word for it. I do consider myself talented at programming and yes I do feel I was born with it. I taught myself how to program. Now several things make up that talent. Logical thinking, good at math, problem solving, attention to detail, knowing how to break down a problem into smaller pieces, troubleshooting, etc. Not all are required for some types of programming. The levels of proficiency required in those things also varies. BUT, if someone doesn't possess any of those skills then they're not going to be able to program much at all. Even if they wanted to they're not going to go far and trying to teach them will be futile and frustrating. Many people can be taught to program but their brains have to be wired at least a little bit to be able to do some/all of those mental skills. There has to be something already there to build on even if it's still just a tiny seed. That's talent.