>I don't think there is any debate that, in general, someone who tinkers, explores, and codes outside of work will be relatively better than someone who doesn't.
I've found that the truth of this depends almost entirely on the type of coding one is doing at work.
If you're doing challenging work all day and then do some challenging work after hours, you'll likely be better than most based on the sheer amount of practice.
If your day job is mostly a joke and you are maintaining systems that you don't really understand, coding all night won't make you better than someone who is doing challenging work all day and logging off entirely at closing time.
I've found that the truth of this depends almost entirely on the type of coding one is doing at work.
If you're doing challenging work all day and then do some challenging work after hours, you'll likely be better than most based on the sheer amount of practice.
If your day job is mostly a joke and you are maintaining systems that you don't really understand, coding all night won't make you better than someone who is doing challenging work all day and logging off entirely at closing time.