I don't know you, but solely from this post I am going to go with "likely overconfident."

That’s fair. But I also know a lot about what I can’t do. I don’t have the knowledge (and maybe the capacity to acquire the knowledge) to work on really complex stuff. Like, solutions that work well on the scale of hundreds of millions of user (I work on web development for context). I also wouldn’t be capable of working on embedded systems or any system which just can’t fail.

Also, academic research on computer science, as I lack much of the basics.

I am happy building websites and web apps.

But I am confident enough to know I can innovate and create complex solutions for the kinds of problems I face.

This is maybe gonna be a little harsh but: https://blog.codinghorror.com/the-nonprogramming-programmer/

I'm guessing the reality in your case isn't quite as severe but that's sort of where some "jigglers" sit.

When I hear "I don't follow at all the academic approach" what I'm hearing is you don't even know what is actually taught in a CS degree. Might be wrong but that's what I'm hearing. A lot of it isn't really that academic but sure some of it is. I'm self-taught and I worked as a programmer before I got my CS degree (as a teenager) but my self studies included CS topics (algorithms and data structures etc.) and I never copied any code or "jiggled" anything when I got started, everything was written from zero. What I did occasionally do is implement algorithms (i.e. the algorithm is known, write the code, which I guess is a form of copying).

On the plus side you've obviously acquired some good skills doing all this and you are likely smart. If you're happy with where you are (let's call this a "Software Integrator" maybe) that's fine. If you want to become better you probably should put in the time and learn some of the things you've been avoiding either formally or on your own (unlike when I was a kid there's endless resources now).

> ”what I'm hearing is you don't even know what is actually taught in a CS degree”

This is accurate. I don’t. My impression is “algorithms and data structures”, which is fuzzy for me. I don’t care at all about algorithms. Data structures I think I should know more about at some point.

I considered studying CS after starting working with software development, but decided I don’t want to. Kind of related, but I also decided that I don’t want to study leetcode too, even though there is a financial incentive to do it.

I am happy being someone that some arrogant developers like to call “web developer”, “programmer” or, at most, “software developer” as opposed to what a “software engineer” is. I understand the difference that those people try to point out. And I agree there is a difference and I don’t care to be on the side of line that I am. It does bother me that every time I see someone making a point of showing where the line is, it’s from a point of arrogance, entitlement. This does bother me, and I felt that tone in the comment I replied to.

Hmm. I'm smart and innovative too! I flipped my couch cushion over after my dog shit on it. Maybe we are both revolutionaries?!

Sorry, I didn't understand the underlying message that your sarcasm was intended to pass.

Maybe we're not as alike as I thought.