I'm not really self taught as I did go to college but I didn't finish my degree. I managed to get my first job after a few months in the Silicon Valley (San Jose, not SF).

I don't know how much my not having a degree really mattered after that but my last 4 jobs were in Seattle. I suspect I may have been "leveled" at one of my jobs based on my not having a degree though, but I can't say for sure.