u/michaelnovati replied ·
Accountability and network.
1. There's infinite things you can learn on your own. Following a fixed program and having people checking in on your to make sure you finish that program.
2. Working with others and with alumni, can help you find referrals to jobs.
1 is easier to do on your own if you are disciplined and focused and stick to it.
2 is harder to replace. If you are an ivy league grad, or have a lot of friends in tech, or do open source, you can do it, but for a lot of people it's harder.