The programming talent myth

> But that would mean that programming skill is somehow distributed on a U-shaped curve. Most people are at one end or the other, which doesn't make much sense.

It's a U-shaped curve... with two bell curves at each end. Programming is an art, which means it requires knowledge and discipline (like for any job), but also some level of passion and creativity (unlike for repetitive jobs). Most of us have seen the ~10x productivity gap at the office between creative people versus people just doing everything by the book. For instance, programmers with some level of passion and creativity continuously question what they are doing and how they are doing it, then refine and reinvent their own tools. Just that as a start is plenty enough to explain an 10x productivity increase.

This gap is not even specific to programming; it's the same for any job where creativity can make some difference.

Sure there is a myth of the rock star programmer (people love having heroes), but it's not like every programmer is average either. Like in many other jobs there is a big gap between employees who care and those who don't. I think the gap is wider in programming because new tools can be created in the matter of days.

PS: - passionate != 60+ hours of work per week
- passionate != impossible to manage/work with