If one is thinking about not getting a degree and trying to go straight to work, as someone who did so (albiet out of poverty rather than choice) but didn't end up like Zuck, please heed my warning:

Social capital matters more than just about anyone who has a degree can understand and tell you or mentor you about, because the majority of them have always had it, and they tend not even to interact with people without it.

It is a signal about your wealth (and your families ability to deploy it for you), from which follows your stability, your intelligence, your taste, your willingness to play the game, and your belonging in the club. These matter more than EVER in the business world - I've never seen a time when tech is less about engineering than right now.

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ehnto 2 hours ago | parent | next [-]

To a much smaller extent due to where I live, I noticed this too. From merely the fact that I had a (local economy relative) high paying software job and that I could "make stuff happen" for people with capital or people in the "boys club", I was introduced to an entirely different layer of the city I had no idea about. I noticed how effortlessly the signals transfer and how it all feels very meritocratic, you don't even notice the layer and you just see the people. Until someone who's not in that layer shows up, and suddenly the doors close, the conversation chills and the barriers to the layer become evident.

I am very curious how this changes for young technologists in an AI era, where maybe non-technical people in this layer no longer see a self made technologist as a value add to their cohort.

I purposely use technologist over software developer, since I feelnthe generalist self-made developer typically commands an intuitive breadth of skills not just programming.

I also didn't make out like Zuck, though I am happily working and making games on the side.

	▲	platz an hour ago \| parent \| next [-]
		what's an example of something you made happen
	▲	anal_reactor an hour ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		Honestly I do the reverse of that. I dress like shit and when introducing myself I specifically use the word "immigrant" rather than "expat" because signalling high social position attracts people who want something from me but don't offer anything in return.

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stephbook an hour ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Shouldn't a bad job market convince people to get a degree?

You only miss a bad job market entry and low salaries, you need every meagre advantage you can get.

100% agree on a degree being a strong signal, by the way.

	▲	danans 7 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		> Shouldn't a bad job market convince people to get a degree? Maybe, but the degree has to be paid for, with time and money.

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aaron695 an hour ago | parent | prev [-]

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