[plant42]

Although I attended university for a couple of years, I dropped out once I figured out I'd had enough of structured learning. At the time, it was not for me.

I've been programming since I was 7, professionally since I was 21 and I'm now in my late 30's. Over the years, I've been involved in some fantastic projects and companies on both sides of the pond. I've since started the move up the chain whilst keeping my fingers dirty at the code level. I've been able to mentor younger developers, deliver projects that I find interesting and contribute to opensource projects that appeal to me.

Although, I do not think my lack of a degree has held me back in any way, it does depend a lot on the country in which you live. Some countries rely more on educational background, whilst others do not.

However, times now are different than they were in the early/mid 90's. Now you're expected to have experience, education and to have launched a successful start-up before your 21st or 22nd birthday. The pressure to be awesome is incredible, and every young developer wants to work for Google, Facebook or Twitter. You know, the cool companies that are developer led and have the best toys.