What the OP said is backed by large studies. For example, the HackerRank 2020 study (n=116,000) found that developers who code for fun tend to score higher on s

What the OP said is backed by large studies. For example, the HackerRank 2020 study (n=116,000) found that developers who code for fun tend to score higher on skill assessments. The statement in my previous post, where I claimed most good programmers began coding for fun is also reasonable. Having studied CS in a large state school, I did not find any student that did not begin programming for fun prior to enrolling at university. I understand that this may not hold for every possible case, e.g. programmers without a CS degree that discovered programming later on, but it is still pretty reasonable.