 What is the advantage of a formal CS degree for an entrepreneur?
zeroxsys: I would say, it depends on the app you'd build and the toolkit you'd need. For your web-based app for a financial enterprise, you’d only need knowledge/skills on database/SQL, HTML+CSS, and front/back-end programming (i.e., JavaScript, PHP, VB.NET). Here you’d only need reference materials, as you can easily find how to develop the modules you’d need.However, imagine what you could miss? During the design phase, diagrams, (R)DBMS, OOP, algorithms and software engineering skills are some of the vital CS fundamentals that will eventualy result to the overall quality of your app. You may be able to develop a complete app, but you may not be able to know if it’s the best implementation. While testing your app, you might find some CS concepts (i.e., data structures, searching, Big Oh) relevant along the way, to enhance the processes maybe. Yes you could study these topics by your self, but you might be more effective if these are already in your armory before jumping to the job. Like when you’re programming, an OOP approach might be a better approach as early as the initial coding, rather than convert to it after launch. Or you might learn that you could offer real-time collaboration using other networking/Internet technologies.Yes you don’t need a CS degree, but let me suggest that you scan the CS topics before you start designing your app. Someone who has a CS background may be able to forsee all posible problems and solutions to its system right after the inception of the idea, while someone who’s not, must explore all possibilities and validate them in each step he/she would take. I’m not saying that you cannot build a good app, I just hope that you won’t miss something. Good luck Sir!