I might just be missing something, but I don't really see the distinction between film, writing, and coding. Sure, there are power structures which expect certa

I might just be missing something, but I don't really see the distinction between film, writing, and coding. Sure, there are power structures which expect certain things. But you can also ignore those power structures, and many people do. You can put code on github, or produce indie films. What's interesting is that even in that case people tend to be older in a number of fields. The film Primer, which was made on a $10,000 budget with no studio support, and is probably the best film about time-travel in existence, was made by Shane Carruth when he was 32— and not because he spent a decade going to film school or paying any other kinds of film-dues before that. With novels there is even less of a formal dues-paying apparatus. Nobody cares what degrees you have, and there is no way to move up in the ranks by spending 10 years making coffee for someone. Yet there are not many successful novelists in their 20s. Same with programming: you could be successful in your 20s, it's just uncommon.