Sergey Brin's comment goes way beyond "you don't need a degree." The fact that Google hires many self-taught individuals is a symptom of a structural shift: the *signal* for competence has changed.
The internet broke the monopoly of formal knowledge. Now, a portfolio, open-source projects, and the ability to learn quickly speak louder than pedigree on a resume. This doesn't devalue university—which still offers structure and networking—but it removes its exclusivity as the only proof of skill.
The real barometer now isn't *where* you learned, but *what* you can do and *how* you handle tools that are constantly changing. The ladder didn't disappear, it just became less vertical.