To the casual observer, the stereotypical age of computer programmers contradicts your claim. ;-) While I can certainly appreciate that it takes time to mature

To the casual observer, the stereotypical age of computer programmers contradicts your claim. ;-) While I can certainly appreciate that it takes time to mature as a developer, the job market at least reinforces the idea that you can get hired at the entry level after maybe a couple years of study. My mom's programming students got hired that quickly in the 1980s. What I do think is that the small part of software development called coding is something you can learn in a couple years. At that point you may be able to perform a useful role in a larger team of developers, e.g., under the wing of a senior, giving you time to further mature as a full blown developer.