Good programmers: nature or nurture?

From where do good programmers sprout? Do they come from top-notch collegiate computer science programs? Do they stem from a gene correlated with good problem-solving abilities and ability to think in higher level abstractions? Where does the balance lie between nature and nurture?

There's a difference here between good programmers and simply competent programmers. Competent programmers are good at coloring between the lines. Good programmers are good at defining where those lines belong, understanding when the lines need to move and when coloring outside the lines is appropriate. They could be good architects, but choose not to lose their relevancy by moving from code to box diagrams.

I don't know where good programmers come from. I have some observations though.

A college degree is not necessary. I'm not saying it's not useful, just that it's not necessary.

Curiosity is necessary. A BS in Computer Science with on the job training in programming and domain, but with no curiosity, will last a graduate 2-3 years, after which s/he will professionally stagnate. This mode is fine in a stable economy where these programmers can amass domain or technology knowledge with their current employer and become domain-sticky (e.g. the few who know why the business rules are structured as they are) or technology-sticky (the few who have been with the code base so long as to know the nooks and crannies of obtuse design and coding decisions). Lack of curiousity and experimentation - in learning new domains and skills - significantly reduces the shelf life of non-curious developers. In the current economy, this domain and technology stickiness are no longer sufficient safety nets to protect your jobs.

You don't have the time to address your curiosity? Make time. Many licensed professionals (e.g. medical professionals) require continuing education in order to keep their licenses. Software development professionals should have even higher requirements; our profession changes very quickly. Even if your employer doesn't have the budget to send you off to a conference, you should be able to negotiate some set-aside time to focus on sharpening the saw. Or spring for that conference attendance cost yourself if your company is unwilling to invest in you (and update your resume while on the plane). You should also be able to answer the question in an interview - "how do you keep your skills current?".

In the coming technology landscape: meta-programming, crossing-the-chasm from statically typed object-oriented languages to dynamic and functional languages, and solving more and more complex business problems requires more than just a basic understanding of Java and the list of standard Java-based acronyms. Beyond curiosity, the new landscape requires discipline (to understand before coding - and to keep from strangling yourself with the new rope that these new technologies provide). It requires persistence in teasing out the subtleties of the new technologies to fully understand them. It requires an ability to think in more abstract terms... in some ways, it requires returning to the Computer Science textbooks.

In sum - to improve your programming skills, cultivate and follow your curiousity, think more deeply about how to solve the problems at hand, try some of the newer (sic) languages (F#, Haskell, Lisp, Ruby, etc.) and practice thinking in more abstract terms. Be persistent. And find a smart, curious, thoughtful, persistent programmer who takes keeping his/her skills sharp seriously. Pair with him/her. Ask questions. Become a sponge.