The path of learning to code has a lot of similarities to learning to speak a language or learning to play and instrument.
You can get to an A2 level of a spoken foreign language way faster than most people imagine, but at the same time, getting to native fluency takes longer than even the most pessimistic beginners realize.
Most people dramatically overestimate how long it would take to be able to play a decent tune on the piano, but also have no way of comprehending the near-infinite hours required to become a professional concert pianist.
Each unit of “better” takes exponentially more work than the last. But there’s a lot of utility in even getting to the first level. It just depends on your goals.
You can get to an A2 level of a spoken foreign language way faster than most people imagine, but at the same time, getting to native fluency takes longer than even the most pessimistic beginners realize.
Most people dramatically overestimate how long it would take to be able to play a decent tune on the piano, but also have no way of comprehending the near-infinite hours required to become a professional concert pianist.
Each unit of “better” takes exponentially more work than the last. But there’s a lot of utility in even getting to the first level. It just depends on your goals.