[ignoramous]

> The reality requires balance.

Agreed.

> ...university courses, prerequisites are required and enforced for good reason.

Perhaps, but see also this article and discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32497780

> I would argue that the same is true for software development.

One can learn best practices without having to work at a startup / tech shop / MANGA. Besides, software development isn't the only skill required, there's likely a lot to learn but not enough time. With most upstarts, timing is more crucial than most other learnable factors, because you can never rollback time.