Gruseom, you are absolutely right that it is talent that matters, and Spolsky understates this point, appending to the end of his post seemingly as an afterthought. A talented hacker can take some duct tape and turn it into a thing of beauty, like those prom dresses and tuxedos people make every year out of actual duct tape. A bad coder doing this would make only a piece of trash that falls apart, just like a bad coder making a standard garment would try to add so many frills and accessories and various things that its complexity would soon outstrip his talent.

So what's his point? Be talented.