I think that what people perceive as "talent" is for a large part just intrinsic motivation which leads to an "early start". Many of us got early starts in comp

I think that what people perceive as "talent" is for a large part just intrinsic motivation which leads to an "early start". Many of us got early starts in computers because we were interested in them and were intrinsically motivated. By the time we went to college, we already had a decade of experience under our belts. That experience is obviously flawed, and you can't compare it with a decade of "real" experience, but it's still a head start. This can make you seem really talented in the eyes of people who have yet to start making the mistakes you made 10 years ago. Does that mean you'll have this edge forever? Of course not. And sure, there's a factor of luck and physical/mental ability involved as well, but those aren't really the mysterious part of "talent".