We complain about job interviews taking an entire day yet have no problem telling this person to dump 750 hours into something with the hope of "getting noticed."
If I was 19 today - and wanted to code for the most $$$ possible. I wouldn't be in college. I'd be building up skills + know people. Know people even tougher I'd argue for technical people who are often introverts.
It is throwaway for most people. 'Most' being >75%. Just my guesstimate.
Well there is another way to look at it if you wish, if you want to bolster your self-esteem and confidence by having a college/university degree, then do it. My observation is that most people who do not have a degree suffer a life long I-do-not-have-a-degree self esteem syndrome, despite being just as capable as everyone else.
Specifically, donating that time to a project which a company uses to make money.
> It's a reliable strategy to get noticed and make a good impression.
If its so reliable, there should be many repeated examples of it happening. So far, all we have is a single case.
It's a reliable strategy to get noticed and make a good impression. How much money you manage to make from that opportunity obviously depends on many more factors.