Asklemmy

I dunno, most of the job descriptions I see say something like "a relevant degree or equivalent experience..." And lots of places don't even list an educational requirement, at least for more senior roles.

I basically self-taught while I was working in a different field, and then eventually found a bootcamp with a good alumni network and career placement services. Once you get a little bit of experience, it starts to snowball, but getting that first opportunity (or first few) can be a steep hill to climb.

Oh, and you gotta be pretty good at building software too, of course, but not as good as you'd think to get going-- Most of your learning is on the job, regardless of what educational path you take. In that respect, most go-getters with some diligence and aptitude can exceed the capabilities of a typical compsci grad inside of a year, I'd say.

There will always be employers who think the degree is really important, and there will be roles where it actually is... But plenty just want evidence that you can do the job well.