To be a prolific programmer requires time, effort and dedication. You can still be a prolific programmer if you are married and performing your family duties but the level of time and effort to do it would be less. It would require you to work smarter and have a solid-foundation that is built and have learned the fundamentals, before you are trying to dedicate your time to being prolific while slicing your time between work, family, personal, etc.<p>It is best for the single and young because it requires you to immerse yourself to learning, to solve problems and face difficult failures, it requires routine, and dedicated energy to learn, requires energy to go to the workshops&#x2F;meet-ups&#x2F;groups and be updated when new learning opportunity arrives. It requires spontaneity to still be interested in other things in order for you to refresh your energy.