If companies truly care more about what a person has built, why don't more of them say so? When I look at job advertisements most of them say they want x degree minimum with a high GPA, x years of professional experience minimum, and so on.

I would say that if all you have is self-taught (which can be a viable path) then you should have a portfolio that knocks people's socks off.

Agreed. I don't care where you learned what or how long it took you. I care what you can do, and the best way to prove that is by what you've done.

I get this....I just wonder how to "break in" to a great learning platform (or job). Can you really teach yourself to become great???