ChrisE - 6:44 am on Dec 6, 2009 (gmt 0)

I have quite a bit of formal education in mathematics and computer science, plus a graduate degree in business. This helps me think about problems in a very structured way from all the relevant perspectives.

But self-instruction is pretty much a necessity to keep current. Taking classes all the time on the latest things coming up would cost a fortune and I'm not sure that the return on investment is there after a certain point. It is more efficient to grab a book or tutorial, code up some of the examples, and start tweaking things to learn how it really works.

Small business is really brutal. It can take a whole lot of non-billable hours to get those billable hours. Plus you'll be trying to learn at the same time. I think it makes a lot of sense to have someone else pay for you to learn the ropes, e.g. a regular job for a while with a steady paycheck so you can eat while you build a skill set. That is a good way to start.