Actually I think this self-learning approach is a great example of what it takes to be a great developer regardless of background (or formal training).
She built one project each day for 180 days learning a bit more each day. She chronicled her mistakes and successes. HN had a post on it at the time and the majority of developers that responded were very supportive.
http://signaltower.co/jennifer-dewalt/
She built one project each day for 180 days learning a bit more each day. She chronicled her mistakes and successes. HN had a post on it at the time and the majority of developers that responded were very supportive.