[rdouble]

I've found that a difference between the "top" guys and the "very good" guys is that the very good guys are smart enough to do great work, but just aren't as into it. I know many guys who were mathematicians, physicists, or near-professional violinists and fell into programming because they couldn't make money from their other interest. These guys are often really good, but you can tell they wish they were doing something else. That said, the worst dudes are the ones who are really into it, but are really bad.