[ehnto]

Talent can only get your foot in the door I feel. You see a lot of talented people pick up a topic, do exceedingly well at the basics then just walk away. It's time, dedication and practice that take you from the clever kid destined for great things to a capable musician/crafstman/artisan/programmer.

There parallels between software and music proficiency are pretty strong in this regard. There is a big difference between a clever person who can learn quickly and an experienced programmer with niche domain knowledge earned over years. In the same way musicianship is more than being able to play an instrument.