Lots of people are already really good programmers, they just don't know it.
I know a few people who are really good plumbers, electricians and general contractors. Basically, they can see a problem and have the skills to break it down and then create a solution.
None of them can type very well and barely know how to use the internet but I bet if they focused on learning the basics of computers they would end up being top notch programmers.
OK, but how many FAANG employees are top-notch plumbers or electricians (i.e. equivalent to tradesman level)? Sure, they may have the potential to develop the skill, but that is equivalent to saying that I have the potential to be a great surgeon. I probably have the dexterity for it, and I'm sure all the information is available through textbooks, but it's a facile argument.
If someone can't even type well, that alone adds what, 80-120 hours minimum of learning just the basic skill alone to get to a level where they can focus on programming without having to focus on input. Specialization exists for a reason, there just isn't the time to learn everything. And the time investment to learn a trade is ~equivalent to the amount of time to learn to program.
Conversely, there are a lot of really good plumbers, they just don't know it.
There's a reason why they didn't be come a plumber.
There's a reason why they didn't become a programmer.
I think this thread greatly overestimates people's desire to do things themselves rather than just consume the products of other people's labor. There are a million things in my own life that I could do but don't.
Some people enjoy their craft (or don't want to sit at a desk all day), in the past few decades programming became really hyped but it's not some kind of goal everyone should try to attain.
At some point we'll have to stop with that "technology can and will solve everything" mentality.
I was just trying to say that there's a lot of general skill set overlap between being a programmer and something like a plumber or electrician.
It's mostly breaking down problems, having a general curiosity on how things work and being able to read documentation. The only real difference between an electrician and a programmer is the context of how they apply those skills.
But doesn't that apply to basically anything in life ?
Everything is about will + tools + problem solving skills. From building a house to fixing a bicycle, building a shelf, fixing an old SLR, &c. I'd even argue that building/fixing material things is more rewarding than programming in general.
The only difference is that current society chose to reward average developers much more than average workers in other industries (good pay, flexible working hours, free snack, job security, &c.). But to me the average developer is not more important than the average trashman or electrician, quite the opposite.
A lot of tech workers are not much more than assembly line workers from back in days, spitting out barely maintainable code found on stack overflow, using tools they understand only on a superficial level (framework, DBs, &c.).
Again, familiarity is not knowledge. We have to stop romanticising our profession as if it was some kind of holy grail, for most people it's just a (good) way to bring money home. Most developers are not revolutionising anything, most are not working on anything meaningful, most are easily replaceable, most don't care that much about what they do, just like everywhere else.
I know a few people who are really good plumbers, electricians and general contractors. Basically, they can see a problem and have the skills to break it down and then create a solution.
None of them can type very well and barely know how to use the internet but I bet if they focused on learning the basics of computers they would end up being top notch programmers.