If we are going the "all else being equal" route, one could argue the hobbyist is a worse candidate because they have spent more time working and thinking about

If we are going the "all else being equal" route, one could argue the hobbyist is a worse candidate because they have spent more time working and thinking about programming but still haven't been able to demonstrate their skills are superior to someone who has spent much less time refining them. Give me the person who is able to get the same thing accomplished with less effort and time.