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Given two equally competent candidates, the one with the degree is usually the one who gets picked. A person who has a degree but isn't passionate will often g

Given two equally competent candidates, the one with the degree is usually the one who gets picked. A person who has a degree but isn't passionate will often get passed over, except in the most bureaucratic of organizations. The problem with autodidacts is that many don't know what they don't know and keep re-inventing stuff. Going to university exposes you to people who are heaps smarter than you and hopefully that provides motivation to learn stuff thoroughly and be aware that you might not have all the answers.

nirvana 14y ago
The thing is, you take two people from the same graduating class and look at them four years later, one who went to college and the other who worked, and they won't be equally competent. One will be a new graduate and one will have 4 years experience. People will pick the experience (which is more valuable) every time. >The problem with autodidacts is that many don't know what they don't know and keep re-inventing stuff. That's kinda silly. Autodidacts know that they don't know a lot and they search it out. They expose themselves to a lot and they seek out the smart people-- much like Steve Jobs communicating with Jim Hewlett. They don't need a university to "expose" you to things. People talk about finding new stuff at university like its some shocking and unique trait. IF you've got a local university that has some good stuff- like a particularly good department- autodidact will often go there just to learn that thing because its good, not because they need it. >exposes you to people who are heaps smarter than you and hopefully that provides motivation to learn stuff thoroughly Go work for a good engineering team and you're surrounded by people who are heaps smarter than you, and very highly motivated to solve difficult problems. But I think the phrase "hopefully that provides motivation to learn stuff thoroughly" is very interesting. Autodidacts have the motivation to learn stuff thoroughly. I think most people don't. They need college to motivate them? There's nothing more motivating than building a business.
- CyberFonic 14y ago
  You make several good points. In my experience the autodidacts you describe are the exceptional ones. I have come across far more self-taught developers who lack the breadth of knowledge and yet think they have all the answers. As for your comment about Steve Jobs, he is widely recognised as an exemplary outlier. Even so, Jobs was a visionary and an exceptional leader. But without the team of very capable and talented people he would not have achieved what they did as a team!

nirvana 14y ago

The thing is, you take two people from the same graduating class and look at them four years later, one who went to college and the other who worked, and they won't be equally competent. One will be a new graduate and one will have 4 years experience. People will pick the experience (which is more valuable) every time. >The problem with autodidacts is that many don't know what they don't know and keep re-inventing stuff. That's kinda silly. Autodidacts know that they don't know a lot and they search it out. They expose themselves to a lot and they seek out the smart people-- much like Steve Jobs communicating with Jim Hewlett. They don't need a university to "expose" you to things. People talk about finding new stuff at university like its some shocking and unique trait. IF you've got a local university that has some good stuff- like a particularly good department- autodidact will often go there just to learn that thing because its good, not because they need it. >exposes you to people who are heaps smarter than you and hopefully that provides motivation to learn stuff thoroughly Go work for a good engineering team and you're surrounded by people who are heaps smarter than you, and very highly motivated to solve difficult problems. But I think the phrase "hopefully that provides motivation to learn stuff thoroughly" is very interesting. Autodidacts have the motivation to learn stuff thoroughly. I think most people don't. They need college to motivate them? There's nothing more motivating than building a business.

CyberFonic 14y ago
You make several good points. In my experience the autodidacts you describe are the exceptional ones. I have come across far more self-taught developers who lack the breadth of knowledge and yet think they have all the answers. As for your comment about Steve Jobs, he is widely recognised as an exemplary outlier. Even so, Jobs was a visionary and an exceptional leader. But without the team of very capable and talented people he would not have achieved what they did as a team!