I do code. However, I will draw a parallel with Salsa dancing. For anyone who has ever watched "Dancing With The Stars", actually dancing on a floor in a club,

I do code. However, I will draw a parallel with Salsa dancing. For anyone who has ever watched "Dancing With The Stars", actually dancing on a floor in a club, leading a woman is an incomparable experience. Especially if the woman likes your lead. There in lies the rub. If you're not a good dancer, the woman will not have a good experience. Talk about real-time feedback. When you first start Salsa dancing, you suck. The only way to get better is to either a) go to a lot of lessons (ranging from the free lesson at a club to group lessons to $$ private lessons) b) practice at home c) go dancing. And there will always be people who are better dancers than you because a) naturally talented b) dancing since they learned to walk c) extremely hard and dedicated d) athletes (good muscle memory). But the point here is - even if you're not the best dancer, just earning the right to be on the dance floor (always make the woman look good, always protect the woman (other woman can step on feet with their high heels), dance to the music) makes you part of a community. Dancing is basically skills + confidence. And confidence goes a long long long way. To anyone who wants to code, go for it! Don't let yourself stop you. Start taking lessons (CodeAcademy, books), practice at home (e.g. build your own stuff), get on the floor (a.k.a. build stuff with other people, dive into hackathons). Eventually you will get the skills and confidence you need. You might not be compensated at market rates for it (at first) but if you keep and going, you will eventually be paid for the value you produce.